Forever Got Too Long
by Darkest Ember
Summary: Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough.  So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first.  A dark love story between Damon and Elena.
1. Only One Solution

Forever Got Too Long 

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 1: Only One Solution

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on. _

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters. _

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes. _

_

* * *

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Damon aimlessly pulled a blood bag out of the freezer and squeezed its contents into a glass. As a vampire, the sight of the crimson fluid _should_ excite him, but he felt nothing as it slid smoothly down his throat. The taste was so bland that even his fangs were too uninterested to appear. He could have just been drinking a glass of ice water and wouldn't have known the difference.

This wasn't who Damon was, hasn't been. He enjoyed the kill – all aspects of it, the hunt, the tease, the fear, the taste. Oh, the taste of the human vein may have been what he missed the most. Bagged blood was nothing compared to the bite. That made his gums ache more than the sight of a freezer full of blood displayed in front of him.

He knew that something needed to change, but how could it? He couldn't just start killing again, not with the council still on standby from Rose's attacks. Yet he couldn't just relocate either. That would mean leaving Elena.

There was only one solution.

He smirked to himself as he discarded the withered blood bag on the stone floor. He would leave Mystic Falls, and take Elena with him, even if force was needed.

* * *

Katherine was bored yet again, trapped inside the dark and dreary boarding house. Naturally, she couldn't spend too much time outside its confines, lest she be mistaken for her human doppelganger. Not to mention she didn't much care for Damon's rejection the other night.

She could feel her grip on the Salvatore's slowly disintegrating from her absence and the endless current of time. She didn't like losing her power over them, or the impending arrival of Klaus – basically she didn't enjoy not being in control.

Stefan had long since left the boarding house to go to school with Elena, parading around like a human, though that was far from the truth. Katherine rolled her eyes at the very thought. She couldn't possibly understand why he'd want to revert back to a lowly human.

Where was the excitement? The freedom?

Still, that left her alone with Damon.

* * *

Elena noticed that both Caroline and Matt were missing from their history class. She was sure that Jonas didn't do anything that would harm them at the Grill, but that didn't really make her feel much better. And it didn't help that Caroline wasn't answering her phone.

Stefan should've noticed the same thing, but his mind was a little too preoccupied with other things. Like finding the witches' burial ground and figuring out how it could be used to their advantage.

This whole sacrifice issue had really consumed most of his, and everyone else's, lives lately. He still didn't even know if Elena was truly willing to _not_ sacrifice herself.

It was funny, though. Last year at this time all he had to worry about was keeping his bloodlust under control.

Oh, how he'd kill for that to be his only concern right now.

"Hey, I'm not feeling so good. Why don't we skip last period and just go relax?" Stefan suggested, following Elena over to her locker.

She turned to face him in concern. "What's the matter?"

"Just tired of always worrying I guess." He shrugged.

She grinned. "Alright. Let's head back to my place, so Damon doesn't put you on Gilbert Journal Duty again."

Stefan nodded and pulled his car keys out of his backpack, slinging an arm over Elena's shoulders, drawing her close to him. She welcomed the security that his embrace promised.

Jenna was surprised to find Stefan and Elena walking through the front door an hour sooner than normal. "Ditching last period?" she asked, not turning away from the mess of papers scattered on the table.

Elena cringed, not expecting to get caught. "Sorry, Jenna. I wasn't feeling too good after lunch, so Stefan brought me home."

"Ah, one of _those_ days," she laughed.

Despite the situation between Jenna and Alaric, Elena was glad to see that her aunt was doing a little bit better, and was at least able to laugh. Stefan, however, didn't want to stand around and waste any more time lingering in the foyer. He took Elena's hand and led her up the stairs, gently closing the door behind them.

She fell down on the bed as Stefan crawled on top of her. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against hers. Her skin emitted such warmth beneath him. It felt good against his icy flesh. His tongue ran along her lower lip, just as his fangs began to peak through his gums. Elena felt the sudden sharp prick.

Two small cuts were made on her lower lip and the taste of blood soon made its appearance known on her tongue. Stefan lapped at the blood, enjoying the briefest taste. Elena didn't protest. She knew that a little bit of human blood a day would end up going a long way for Stefan. Her eyes remained closed as she felt him sucking her lip. She felt no pain.

Once he had enough, Stefan pulled back and took a deep, though unnecessary, breath as the root-like veins beneath his eyes disappeared.

"Everything okay?" Elena breathed.

"It's perfectly okay," he smiled, lying down on his back and pulling Elena up against his chest.

Elena snuggled closer to him, thriving off these small, peaceful moments. She felt as though she didn't have a care in the world. As if everything was normal.

Until Damon had to call, summoning them back to the boarding house.

* * *

Damon walked up the staircase and found Katherine standing nearby, waiting with what appeared to be a look of boredom mixed with anticipation.

"What are you so happy about?" she snarled.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Damon replied, still maintaining his smirk as he walked past her. But then he stopped in his tracks, an interesting thought crossing his mind. "_Would_ you like to know?"

"Sure," she sighed, "It's not like I have anything better to do around here."

"I'm going to get what I want."

"Damon, I thought we already covered this," she replied, leaning forward, purposely exposing some of her cleavage. "I'm in love with Stefan."

Damon's smile faltered as darkness clouded his eyes for a moment or two. No, he refused to let her of all people ruin his mood now. "Typical bitch thing to say. This has nothing to do with you."

"Ooh, don't get mean now. You might actually hurt my feelings."

"You having feelings? Right."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she pouted.

Damon stepped further into the living room and sat down on the leather couch across from her. "I'm done being second best. I'm done denying myself my desires. Tonight I'm going to take Elena and leave this place, once and for all."

Katherine's eyebrows arched in surprise, both of his plan and his resolve. This could actually benefit her, in a way. If he and Elena left Mystic Falls, then that left Stefan to be hers for the taking, at long last. She needed to ensure that this plan didn't fall through. Damon was always a bit of faulty planner, in her opinion.

"Very bold of you, Damon. Though with this new persona you've developed over the years, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Anything I can do to help?"

Damon didn't really think that the word 'help' was honestly in Katherine's dictionary. And if she ever did use the word, it was usually only to cover her intentions. Still, there _was_ something she could help him with.

"Since you're just _so_ good at impersonating Elena, I'm going to need you to do that. I've already told Stefan and Elena to come over here. You're going to have to pretend to be her, at least long after we've left town."

Katherine's nose wrinkled in distaste. She didn't really want to have to act or dress in Elena's boring, plain Jane fashion. But, if it meant being with Stefan…

"Fine, Damon. I can do that…for _you_."

* * *

Elena had told Jenna that she was going to hang out at Stefan's for a while. To be honest, she wasn't sure just how long she'd be out tonight. It all depended on whatever development Damon had stumbled upon.

Much to her surprise, Elena found Damon to be alone in the front room. "Where's Katherine?" she asked.

Damon shrugged. "She left about an hour ago."

"Oh, that's not good," Elena groaned. "She could be in town!"

"Relax, I sent her to survey a fake location of the burial grounds. Thought it would keep her busy for a while."

"So, what's this discovery you made?" Stefan questioned.

"_I_ just so happened to figure out the real location. It's the same spot where Emily Bennett was killed. Trees have grown over the land since then, so I'm guessing that's why the evil witches couldn't find it on their own."

"Is it nearby?" Stefan asked.

Damon nodded. "I was thinking we could go check it out. You might want to change in something more casual. We'll have to do some digging."

Stefan glanced down at his leather jacket and dress clothes. Damon had a point. "Okay. Make sure we have everything we need so that we can leave right away, before Katherine catches on."

Damon remained completely still and silent until Stefan was out of eyesight, and earshot.

Elena collapsed on the couch, running her fingers through strands of her hair. "You have no idea how much I can't wait for all of this to be over," she sighed, glancing up at Damon. She suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable. There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "I-Is everything okay?"

"It will be soon enough," he murmured, speeding forward with inhuman speed, wrapping an arm around Elena's waist and placing a hand firmly over her mouth.

He took her down into the basement where Katherine was waiting, standing in nothing more than a bra and panties with a pair of clothes on hangers dangling from her fingers.

Elena gasped for breath, glancing frantically between Katherine and Damon. "What's going on?" she cried.

"The fun's about to begin," Katherine grinned, looking much like a cat ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

She put the clothes down the freezer and sped over to Elena, removing her clothes _and_ her necklace. Elena tried to protest, but she could barely see where Katherine was. In the blink of an eye, Katherine was back on the other side of the room, wearing Elena's previous outfit and looking more like her than ever before.

Elena's cheeks flushed as Damon took in her semi-naked figure, never having seen this _much_ of her before.

"Unless you want him to keep ogling you, I suggest you get dressed," Katherine sneered. Elena shakily reached for the clothes, quickly stepping into the pants.

Katherine's eyes quickly darted up to the ceiling. "Stefan's coming."

"Go. I got this from here. Just say that Ric called or something."

And then the true horror of the situation dawned on Elena. They were going to have Katherine pretend to be _her_. But, why?

Katherine nodded, allowing for a brief, though lingering stare to rest on Damon as a confliction of emotion appeared in her eyes. She shook her head and sped up the stairs.

"What's going on, Damon?" Elena asked, close to tears now.

Damon's attention was still focused on what was going on upstairs. Katherine was selling it as well as she always did. Stefan followed her out the door and started his engine. Once he felt safe enough, he faced Elena.

"Everything's going to be okay."

"That…doesn't answer my question," she replied, keeping her distance on the opposite side of the room.

"All you need is a little time," he said, slightly smiling. "Once you let me open your eyes, you'll see that I've been right for you all along."

Elena took small, subtle steps backward, heading toward the staircase. "N-no, I'm sorry, Damon. You know I love Stefan. You can't just change that."

Damon knew that she was inching away. Clearly, she forgot whom she was dealing with. He sped over to her, catching her off guard as the air hitched in the back of her throat.

He ran his fingers along her cheek and smiled sweetly. "I think it's about time I start getting what _I_ want."

Elena's eyes widened as she imagined all the things that could possibly correspond with that statement. As loud as she possibly could, she screamed Stefan's name. But it was too late. Katherine was already leading him toward some trail in the middle of the woods on the town's property.

"Damon, _please_," she cried, tears threatening to fall.

He held onto her shoulders with a slight grip. "You have no idea how tired I am of hearing you say that."

She trembled as he stared into her eyes, knowing that compulsion was soon on its way. Even with her new outfit on, she still felt completely naked without that single piece of jewelry.

"You're going to follow me out to the car and stay seated there until I tell you to move."

Elena's tears dripped down her cheeks as she blinked, feeling Damon's command control her body. She tried planting her feet in the ground, but she couldn't stop. His words forced her body forward, following close behind him and out into the cool evening air.

She climbed into the passenger seat of his car and sat in a still position. Her limbs began to ache as she tried to fight against the invisible pressure holding her in place.

Her only remaining weapons were words. And as soon as Damon started the engine, she fired away.

"Damon, you don't have to do this! You've grown so much since you first got here. You're so close to feeling, don't give up!"

Damon pulled out of the driveway and kept his eyes locked on the fog-covered road. "You don't know what you're talking about, Elena," he sighed. "I can't keep pretending to be someone I'm not for you. I'm sick of it, and I'm done with it."

Elena was halted by his words, and the emotion behind them. And there was only one other thing she could think to say that could stop him.

"You can do what you want to me, but I will _never_ love you." She laced the words with as much venom as she could muster.

Damon bit back a growl, shifting one hand to the top of the steering wheel as he turned slightly to stare at Elena. He didn't want to have to do anything too hurtful, but if she was asking for it, he would not disappoint.

In a swift movement, he shoved her head into the window, knocking her out cold. He watched as a thick line of blood slowly crept down the glass.

One way or another, he was going to disprove her last comment. Soon, she would be his and his alone.

* * *

So, after waiting so long for the next new episode, I decided to toy around with Damon's "I'll never be what she wants me to be" speech. This story is going to be what would happen if Damon reverted to his old ways and actually acts on his feelings. It's going to be a bit of a darker love story, because there aren't enough of those on this site lol

Please leave a quick review if you can. Your thoughts really matter and encourage me to write. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this and The Boarding House at the same time, but if I get enough comments, I'll try really hard to update as soon as possible :)


	2. Home Sweet Hell

_Forever Got Too Long_

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Hell

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_One way or another, he was going to disprove her last comment. Soon, she would be his and his alone. _

* * *

Damon's '67 Chevrolet Camaro rode along the country roads as smoothly as it ever had. A light, chilled breeze flew across the front bench seat, occasionally whipping Elena's long chocolate brown strands of hair around. Damon hoped that she would remain in a peaceful sleep until they reached an appropriate destination. He didn't want to deal with his protests, though he expected them, at this time.

So, he slightly adjusted the volume knob on the radio and sped further along the beautifully frosted pasture wastelands.

Because he was relying on Katherine, of all people, to keep his secret safe, he knew he had a limited list of actions. He needed to find a place to stay where there could be no other communication with other humans. That eliminated any sort of motel or hotel. He wanted to stay in state for now, so long as he could find the _perfect_ place to stay. After all, if communication was disabled, it shouldn't matter that he was still in state, right?

He rested his head in his palm, arm bent leaning against the cool glass, while his opposite hand remained tightly wrapped around the wheel. He sighed heavily, wondering how long it would take before Elena would welcome this idea, or her true feelings for that matter. Sure, he was willing to do what it would take.

And the darkest part of him had every desire to make her bleed, make her scream, make her be _whatever_ he wanted her to be. It was going to be more of an internal battle than anything else. Should he sacrifice his recently regained his humanity, or give in to old habits?

Before he could offer himself a proper answer, his foot drifted over to the brake pedal once he noticed the setting to the right of the road. It was perfect!

Damon roughly turned the wheel onto the gravel driveway that led up to a decrepit, yet charming old farmhouse. Weeds covered the walkway leading to the front porch. Moss grew along the sides of the house. A couple of discolored shudders were hanging haphazardly on either side of the windows. The wooden steps creaked beneath the weight of Damon's black boots. He slowly ran his fingers along the rough railing until he reached the front door.

Excitement caused his veins to tingle. He couldn't wait to see what the interior looked like.

His fingers wrapped around the worn brass doorknob. The door flew open, lightly ramming into the wall nearby. Much to his surprise, the house was still furnished. Oh well, that was only a plus for him, right?

He stepped forward, wanting to explore the rest of the house, but quickly realized that that loathsome invisible vampire barrier was preventing him from doing so. It could only mean one thing…this wasn't an abandoned house after all.

At least it'd be an easy fixer upper.

* * *

Stefan wouldn't lie to himself. With Damon and Katherine gone on their own accord, he was immensely enjoying his time with Elena. Despite the given circumstances, Elena was being oddly playful. When the sun was beginning to set, he had suggested that they should leave. She lunged forward and stole his keys, grinning.

"You'll have to catch me first," she declared.

"Oh, really now?" he laughed, chasing after her.

She had a head start, so she managed to create some distance between them. Stefan decided that if she could cheat, so could he. He sped forward with his vampiric speed and wrapped his arms around Elena.

"Gotcha," he whispered.

He carried her back to the car and headed toward the Grill. For the briefest moment, driving past these abandoned homes and ancient trails in the woods, Stefan found himself mentally reliving moments from 1864. Moments shared with Katherine.

Of course he was accustomed to their similar appearance, but tonight their personalities seemed to be fusing into one. Elena was reminding him of how Katherine acted when they first met.

And he _liked_ that.

* * *

_Elena braced herself as she felt Damon press down harder on the accelerator. Damon never was a safe driver. "Speeding isn't going to get us there on time," she said, though she didn't quite know where _there_ was. _

_ Damon glanced over at her briefly and laughed. "Don't be silly, Elena. In this car, we can get anywhere, just like that." He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point. Elena rolled her eyes. "Speedy humans, I guess I'll have to believe, but not cars." _

_ And just as the words left her mouth, the car lurched forward at impossible speeds. Alarmed, Elena stared at Damon wide-eyed. "Vampire car," Damon smirked. _

_ "That…that can't be possible," she challenged. "By definition anything that's a 'vampire' would live off of blood." _

_ "Exactly," Damon nodded. _

_ Elena fell back against the seat, imaging cars, like the ones from that Pixar movie, with faces and personalities, draining each other of blood…or oil…or whatever vampire cars run on. Imagine that. _

_Vampire Cars._

* * *

Blurred light crept into Elena's vision. Pain burned, slowly at first, before spreading like wildfire across the right side of her skull. Shakily, she touched where she believed to be the source of pain and immediately retracted her hand. Her fingertips were smeared with blood.

Elena had a difficult time recalling what had happened in the past couple hours…or why she was alone in Damon's car. Not to mention she was slightly distracted by the bizarre dream she just had.

All of her questions were quickly answered the moment she saw the sight before her.

* * *

Damon tried once more to break through the barrier, but quickly resigned. He reached for the doorbell.

"Coming, coming," a woman's voice called. She fumbled with her apron as she approached the door. She couldn't conceal her immediate, raw reaction to this surprisingly handsome stranger on her porch.

"I'm real sorry for bothering you so late, but I need you to do something for me," Damon said, wearing that smile that could charm any woman.

"Oh, it's no problem at all," she said. "What can I do for you?"

Damon stepped as close as he could to the entrance without running into the barrier. He locked eyes with the woman, compelling her. "I just need you to step outside for a minute."

The request seemed simple enough to the woman, though something in the back of her mind suggested that she would've done anything this man would've requested of her. "Of course," she grinned, stepping onto the porch.

Damon cupped her face in his hands. "It's a shame you have such a _beautiful_ home," he sighed. Confusion began creeping across the woman's face. Before she could question what he meant, Damon snapped her neck. Her head flew to the side, followed by a familiar crack. He dropped her body to the ground with no remorse.

He grinned to himself as he returned to the house's entrance, only to find that the barrier remained. Suddenly, he heard a swinging axe and felt a rough, fierce pain in his back. A low growl emitted from his chest. Not bothering to remove the axe, he spun around in a blur facing who he presumed to be the woman's husband.

"Bad move," Damon snarled.

The man had several things he wanted to say to this stranger who had just killed his wife. But he didn't have a chance. Damon lunged forward, his fangs already barred. He watched for a second of amusement as the man's determination transformed into pure terror. Damon tugged on the man's flannel collar and ripped into his throat, dragging his teeth along the flesh, all the way over to the center of his throat.

He swallowed bits of skin down with the blood. It was no different than how humans took pills while guzzling down water. The man's blood was pouring so freely into Damon's mouth that it didn't make much of a difference.

He kept chewing into the man's neck long after he was dead.

* * *

Though the lighting was incredibly dim, Elena could see the death and blood in front of her. Damon was standing over a man's body, completely coated in the person's blood. Her mind raced to find an alternate explanation. Damon couldn't have killed those people. He'd grown so much over the past year!

_Then again, he _did_ kidnap me, which I never would've expected him to do_, Elena thought, rolling her eyes.

Whatever was going through Damon's mind right now…he just needed some time to get it out of his system. Then he would take them back to Mystic Falls and they could fight Klaus, once and for all.

Elena reached for the door handle, unable to just sit in this car, mentally fighting over Damon's morals. The door opened with ease, but for some reason she couldn't physically get out of the car. She groaned, realizing that Damon's compulsion must still be in effect.

"Damon!" she cried.

Damon was inside the house, unaware that Elena had seen his latest killings. Her voice instantly reached his ears, and within less than seconds, he was outside by the car. "You rang?" he smirked.

"You compelled me to stay in here, remember?"

"Ah, so I'm guessing you want out?"

Elena nodded, struggling to even look at Damon. She noticed that his teeth were still stained with blood.

Damon sighed. "I'd love to, Elena, I really would. But first you have to do something for me."

Millions of terrifying circumstances ran through Elena's mind. She had every intention of just keeping this experience alone with Damon verbal. She could talk some sense in of her pleads – _"Be the better man, Damon."_ – worked in the past. Why wouldn't they work now?

"Please, Damon, just let me out of the car." Her eyes darted over to the house, where she presumed they would be staying now. "We can go inside and talk about this."

Damon tilted his head to the side, watching her, his icy eyes filled with curiosity. He reached out to touch her face, but was taken aback when she cringed. "Elena," he breathed. "You don't have any reason to be afraid of me."

She looked at him, forcing herself to stare at him dead on. "Can I trust you?" she whispered, recalling when she asked the same question the first time he pulled a similar stunt.

Damon's face hardened as he compelled her to get out of the car. He turned his back to her, walking toward the house. He knew she would follow.

* * *

Bonnie and Jeremy were sitting at a table in the far corner of the Grill, occasionally speaking in hushed whispers about plans involving Klaus. But there was laughter every now and then, too. Bonnie almost regretted that they got together under these circumstances. Jeremy had been in her life from the moment he was born. Why did it take her this long to notice what an amazing guy he was?

"Hey, there's Stefan and Elena," Jeremy said, nodding toward the door.

Bonnie glanced over her shoulder and waved at them. Given the circumstances, both of them looked rather happy, a broad smile on Stefan's face, with Elena tucked into his side.

"Find anything?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan shrugged. "There were a few graves, but it wasn't what we were looking for."

"Damon said he had a few possible locations, so I'm sure one of them has to be right," Elena added.

"I don't know about you guys, but I've had enough Klaus talk for one day. How about we play a game of pool?" Jeremy suggested.

The four of them snagged a table, and decided to play guys versus girls.

"You two have no idea who you're up against," Bonnie teased, wrapping an arm around Elena's shoulders. The moment her hand made contact, Bonnie instantly recoiled as the blood in her veins ran cold.

This wasn't Elena…it was Katherine.

Katherine figured that if anyone would be able to catch her, it would be the witch. She rolled her head to the side, arched her eyebrows, and gave Bonnie a menacing smile – one that suggested she'd be dead before she could get a word out. Bonnie swallowed the lump developing in the back of her throat.

"Why don't you guys break?" Katherine said, nodding at the rack. "We'll be _right_ back." She linked arms with Bonnie, leading her to the restroom, just out of Stefan's hearing range.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bonnie growled, glaring at her friend's spitting image.

Katherine shrugged, wearing a playful expression. "Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this. Damon's the mastermind. For once."

"Where is Elena?"

"She's with him, driving off to God knows where. He's trying to live out his twisted fantasies, you know. But at the same time, if you think about it, he's also protecting her from Klaus."

"How do you figure?"

"If _we_ don't know where Elena is, then how would he?"

"I don't like this," Bonnie murmured, leaning up against the wall. "I don't trust him."

"There's not much you can do about it."

"I can do a locater spell," she threatened.

Katherine sped forward, shoving Bonnie further against the wall, her fingers wrapped dangerously tight around Bonnie's throat. "I don't care where Elena is, to be frank. But at the same time, I can't let her die. Being away from this is what's best for now. You are not going to do anything to ruin this."

Bonnie glared back in defiance, though relieved once Katherine released her grip. She gasped for a breath. "I don't think you have to worry about me. Stefan's caught on to you before."

Katherine grinned maliciously. "Let's see. I have Elena's clothes, Elena's necklace, Elena's hairstyle, Elena's personality. Oh, and this little device." Katherine tugged at her jacket and shirt, revealing a small metal square attached to the inside of her bra. "It supplies the wonderful sound of a fake heartbeat."

* * *

Elena kept her eyes locked on Damon's back. She refused to look at the two bodies she knew she could expect on the ground near where they were walking. The thought of sprinting in the opposite direction crossed her mind once or twice. Maybe if she were dealing with a normal human she'd stand a chance. But she knew Damon was anything but human. He'd catch her before she could even figure out where she was running.

"I'm sure you're hungry by now," Damon said over his shoulder.

Although her stomach felt numb from enduring _hours_ of hunger, she decided to accept his offer. After all, if he was cooking, that meant he was busy. And if he was busy, well, that meant he couldn't do anything to her.

She followed Damon into the kitchen, biting back tears when she saw the refrigerator covered in pictures of the couple and their friends.

"Did you really have to kill them?" she whispered.

"How else would I be able to get inside this house?" he countered, rummaging through the cabinets.

"You could've picked a different house! Or better yet, you could've just stayed in Mystic Falls!"

Damon sped over to Elena, the shock of his sudden appearance knocking her back into the refrigerator. He leaned into her, balancing himself by extending his arms up against the fridge, on each side of her face. Elena suddenly felt small and insignificant beneath him. But she refused to let him know that.

"I hate to break it to you, Elena. But we're not in Mystic Falls, and I doubt we'll be going back there for a very long time. This can either be a positive experience or a negative one. That's all up to you."

"You took me away from my friends and family, how the hell do you expect me to think of this as a _positive_ situation?" she spat.

Damon found himself forming a glare as he took in her words. He calmed himself, having to bite back the urge to use his vampire abilities to his advantage. He told himself that he should give her the benefit of the doubt. Allow her to adjust to the situation, first.

"Think that all you want. But this is going to be a battle you won't win. You tried to keep me from being myself for so long. I felt like a caged animal in my own skin, because of _you_. And it got me nowhere. Now it's my turn."

He lingered just above her lips for a moment longer before shoving himself off her and returning to the stove. Elena took a moment to catch her breath before scurrying away from the fridge and over to the table. Her head collapsed into her hands. She found herself wondering if Katherine was still fooling everyone at home. Surely Stefan would realize the differences?

_But what if he doesn't?_

Elena jumped a little when she heard something be placed down in front of her. Through cracks between her fingers, she discovered a plate of frozen lasagna and garlic bread in front of her. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"I would've made it from scratch – you know how good my cooking is. But I figured speed trumped taste right now."

She forced a smile in response and took a bite of the bread. Damon sat down across the table, reclining the wooden chair back and propping his feet on the table. Yet as hungry as Elena was, she couldn't stop her thoughts from spilling out between each bite.

"You can't just keep me here like…like some prisoner."

"Seems to be working so far," he smirked.

"I'll run away," she protested.

"And then I'll catch you. By all means, Elena, if you want to play chase then I'm game."

"It's better than playing house."

"What are you implying?"

"This. Will. Never. Work."

"You know, I didn't think you were such a pessimist."

"I'm not being pessimistic," she defended. "…I'm being realistic."

Damon rolled his eyes, already getting tired of hearing this. "You're only lying to yourself, Elena. I have every intention of bringing out your feelings for me, even if you're not willing to accept them."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Damon, but you're wrong."

At an incomprehensible speed, he shifted into a standing position and was right in front of Elena. He reached out and gripped her hair, his fingers getting tangled in between. He used his grip to pull her to her feet.

"I think it's time I show you just how _wrong_ you are."

* * *

Thank you so much to all of the readers and those of you who left reviews! I was totally overwhelmed, and it meant the world!

The next chapter will be the first to feature the violence and rape, so brace yourselves for that ;)

**THANK YOU: **DarkAngel1864, AngelJadeO, katherine1864, DamonSalvatoreBaby, Delena2011, hopelessromantic549, Crimson-Kiss17, EtherealDemon, tvdtwilight101, kat, Charrisma, dhsaber, adele, MrsDamonSalvatore98, Savannah6, Magicangel33

This chapter is for you guys, hope I didn't disappoint

Reviews? Suggestions?


	3. I Want It All

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 3: I Want It All

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_"I think it's time I show you just how wrong you are."_

* * *

Bonnie forced herself to endure the remaining series of pool games at the Grill. It didn't really help that Katherine was her partner. Of course Stefan and Jeremy were going to win. How could she think of doing anything with Katherine? The very thought of being _this _close to her made Bonnie's stomach churn.

"Best two out of three?" Jeremy teased, propping himself up against his stick.

"I'd say you guys basically dominated tonight," Bonnie said, wearing a tight smile.

Katherine slung her arm around Bonnie's shoulders and grinned. "Aw, c'mon, Bon. You never know, we might still have a chance!" It was truly eerie how well this imposter mimicked her best friend.

"I think I'm good for tonight," she replied, placing the stick back up on the rack. "Besides, I _was_ supposed to go meet up with Caroline. Something about planning this year's decade dance."

"Well in that case, I guess we'll call it game," Stefan said.

"Don't worry, we'll get our rematch," Katherine teased, sending a flirty smile toward Stefan. Of course he returned it with pleasure. _How could he not see right through her?_ Bonnie wondered in horror.

The moment after the goodbyes were exchanged, Bonnie bolted for the exit. Thankfully, Jeremy managed to notice something was wrong and met up with her in the parking lot. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later. Get in the car. We need to go talk to Caroline!" she urged.

She kept glancing into the rearview mirror, paranoia making it seem rather likely that Katherine would be trailing her. Then again, she seemed pretty occupied basking in the glow of Stefan's undying love. Even if it was intended for another woman.

* * *

Elena was roughly brought to her feet by Damon's tight grasp on her hair. She didn't want to give in so easily, but knew all too well that in doing so, it would relieve some of the unbearable burning she felt along her scalp. Her mind raced with any means of escape – be it physical or verbal. _Anything_.

"D-Damon, I'm sorry I didn't mean it…" She attempted.

Damon's icy blue eyes pierced into hers with so much intensity, it almost hurt. He chuckled lowly and smirked at her, an expression filled with danger. Had he not been holding her up, she probably would've collapsed with tremors. "Didn't mean what?" he asked smoothly.

She should've expected as much from Damon. But she wasn't sure if she really could repeat what she supposedly didn't mean. She denied having any romantic feelings for him, multiple times since her capture. Wouldn't she look like a fool if she took those words back? Then again…maybe that was the cross she'd have to carry, if she wanted to avoid the horrors Damon was planning.

"I-I didn't mean it when I s-said…said that I have no feelings for you." The words tasted sour on her tongue, and she was just barely able to conceal it.

She felt small under Damon's intense stare. He was trying to read her, detect her lies. But couldn't he just take the easy road and compel the answer out of her? _Maybe if he hasn't resorted to using his compulsion, then that might mean he really doesn't have anything terrible planned. Why would he waste his time?_ Elena mentally reasoned, feeling a small spark of hope.

His fingers loosened from their entanglement in her hair, though he remained standing directly in front of her. "You don't have to do that, Elena. I mean really, we've known each other long enough by now."

Elena watched him with a furrowed brow, unsure of what he meant. "I don't have to do what?" Her confusion was certainly evident in her tone.

"_Lie_."

Elena stumbled over excuses, each stuttered word unintentionally angering Damon further and further. He stopped her midway, tightly gripping her arms and using this grip to slam her body roughly into a nearby wall. She cringed slightly, mostly out of surprise, and stared up at Damon with worried eyes.

"I'll ask you one last time," he said lowly. "Do you think that spending time here alone with me will make you want me even more? Will you accept your love for me?"

Before she could recall the words, they came spilling out of her mouth like a rampant avalanche. "I will _never_ love you, Damon. Now get your hands off of me!"

Damon hadn't expected the ferocity that was present between her words, though it didn't really have any effect on his reaction. He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but now he knew the truth. Elena needed to be exposed to all the feelings she's denying. He would force her to feel them.

* * *

Katherine followed Stefan into the noticeably silent boarding house. Stefan lazily tossed his jacket onto the couch and called out his brother's name. It was getting late now, and he was sure that whatever business Damon had with Alaric would surely be done for the night.

"Huh, I guess he's not coming back tonight."

"Who knows what he could be up to," Katherine said quietly.

Stefan nodded. "Though this does allow us to have the boarding house alone to ourselves."

"What are you suggesting?" Katherine asked, grinning seductively. It wasn't something Stefan was really used to seeing from Elena's usually innocent expressions. But he wasn't complaining. With all of this sacrifice business, it was difficult to ever have any intimate time.

"Maybe something like…this," he breathed, gently wrapping his arms around her body and speeding her over to the couch, perfectly situated next to the blazing fire resting beneath the rather large mantel. His lips crashed down on hers as an electric spark flew through Katherine's body. Oh, how she'd missed these lips…

* * *

"Okay, we're far enough from the Grill. Now, what's going on?" Jeremy asked.

Bonnie stole a glance at him before returning her attention to the road. "We're almost at Caroline's, Jer."

"Can't you give me a little hint at least?"

Bonnie bit down on her lower lip, deciding she could deal with having to tell the story twice. "That wasn't Elena at the Grill."

"What do you mean? Wait…are you saying you think that was Katherine?"

"I _know_ it was."

"But how? She seemed like Elena to me."

This wasn't good. If she fooled Jeremy, who was Elena's _brother_, then perhaps it would make sense that Stefan wasn't able to pick up on Katherine's deceit. Then again…Stefan did have the ability to hear blood flowing, heart beating. It didn't help that Katherine actually planned ahead.

Bonnie banged fiercely on the front door of the Forbes residence. She saw a disoriented Matt leaving her room, with Caroline following closely behind. "Hey guys," Matt said quietly, walking past them.

Caroline watched him walk down the sidewalk for a moment or two before acknowledging the others on her porch.

"You look happy," Jeremy observed.

"I am," she said. "Here, come inside and I'll fill you guys in."

Caroline explained how she told Matt everything, and though it was a bit of a bumpy road, she managed to calm him down. Eventually he decided that he wanted her to compel him to forget, to lose memory of the fact that his girlfriend was a supernatural being. Hoping for the best, Caroline complied.

"That's great," Bonnie said, "but I have to tell you guys something."

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked.

"Damon has Elena and he took her somewhere. Katherine is still here, pretending to be her."

"Are you sure–?" Jeremy tried.

"_Yes_. Katherine confronted me just before we started playing pool. She told me Damon took Elena to some God forsaken location, definitely outside of Mystic Falls. She has Elena's clothes…her necklace…and some weird heartbeat generator."

"Well, shouldn't we focus on finding the real Elena? I mean, can't you do that one locator spell?" Caroline suggested.

"I could…and I should…but I'm not sure. Katherine claimed that Damon was doing this to protect her from Klaus, while also acting on his 'fantasies,' which didn't sound too good to me."

"He could be more dangerous than Klaus," Jeremy whispered.

"You guys should give him a chance. He's shown a lot of improvement, and you know he'd do anything to protect Elena," Caroline said.

Both girls knew Jeremy was still a little bitter about the fact that Damon snapped his neck. But even he couldn't deny the truth. Damon _would_ protect Elena at all costs, so it wouldn't make any sense to consider him a threat to her.

"Until we figure out a counter strategy to deal with Katherine, Damon's really our best and only way to keep Elena safe."

* * *

Damon leaned in closer to Elena, watching every inch of her skin crawl. It brought him a nostalgic sense of pleasure. He remembered seeing the same expression on her face when they first met, when she found out who he and Stefan really were. He wasn't sure if he was ready to admit it yet, but he missed her fear.

He was just about ready to continue pushing his limits, until his phone started going off in his pocket. _If Katherine screwed up, I'm going to kill the bitch._

The caller ID read Alaric's name, an unexpected surprise. Damon growled as he slightly distanced himself from Elena and answered the call. "What is it?" he spat.

"Damon, where the hell have you been? I thought you were going to meet up with me to check out that burial ground?"

"I hate to break it to you, Ric, but I had to cancel. I had to go on a bit of a…business trip."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I can tell you. Are you good at keeping secrets?"

Elena breathed heavily against the wall. She realized that it was Alaric who had called Damon. She was almost positive that he had no idea about what Damon did. If he knew what was going on, he could bring help! Elena waited until Damon was done speaking before opening her mouth to release a desperate scream for help.

Damon, however, was much quicker than she anticipated. A small fraction of Elena's screech escaped before Damon roughly clamped his hand down over her mouth, his fingers digging painfully into her cheeks.

"Is everything okay?" Alaric asked uncertainly.

"Never been better, Ric," Damon drawled. "Look, something came up. I'll fill you in tomorrow. Besides I'm sure you have some papers to grade or some other teacher duty."

Alaric settled for Damon's dismissal. And the moment he heard the dial tone, he dropped the phone on the table and moved his fingers from Elena's face down to her throat, tightly gripping her throat and forcing her head to the side so he could whisper in her ear. "That was a very stupid idea, Elena."

Elena struggled beneath him, occasionally gasping for breath and stuttering out defenses. Nothing she could say would stop him now. The last thing he needed to deal with was someone other than Katherine knowing the truth about this situation. He refused to let Elena go anywhere until she admitted her love. And at this rate, Damon acknowledged it might take some time. Then again…he had all the time in the world.

After a couple more seconds of strangulation, he released her throat, watching blankly as she wheezed for air. Since he's spent so many years without actually breathing, he wondered what it feel like, to breathe again. He mentally laughed to himself, believing that the taste would be stale. He was just fine without it. After all, if he was human, he wouldn't have as much of an upper hand now, would he?

"Let's go," he said, tugging on Elena's arm.

Her fingers were gently running over the bruised flesh that covered her throat. She eyed him warily, planting her feet as best as she could into the ground. "Go where?" she asked.

"Upstairs. Of course I've seen at least three different places where I could've fucked you. But I figured our first time should be at least _slightly_ romantic."

Elena's stomach twisted in disgust, which soon became evident on her contorted face. She knew what Damon wanted from her. Yet up until just now, she kept telling herself that he wouldn't do that to her. Damon was always all talk, no action…so why would now be any different?

"Damon," she breathed, trying to limit the amount of hysteria in her voice, "you don't have to do this. I won't do anything that…threatens your plan. _Please_ don't do this."

"It's a little too late for that, Elena," Damon replied, sounding remotely apologetic. He made a move to drag her forward, but felt her hesitation. "Don't make me do this the hard way."

Elena heard the warning in his voice, but refused to acknowledge it. What kind of person would she be if she just gave in to him? What about Stefan? No, she couldn't do that to him, even if it means risking her safety. It was always Stefan, wasn't it? Elena had become a very strong individual over the past year, and she couldn't just abandon that characteristic. She wouldn't.

Her mind raced as he continued to apply more pressure to her arm, dragging her inch by inch toward the staircase. At first she tried physically fighting back, by reaching for the table in the foyer or the railing once they actually reached the staircase. Each time Damon managed to increase the intensity of pain just enough to squash her efforts, until she tried again.

Damon rolled his eyes about halfway up the stairs. His patience was wearing thin, and although he didn't prefer to hurt Elena, he had no problem doing so if she continued to ignore his demands. If she wasn't careful, she might end up unintentionally erasing every single _human_ part of him that she so kindly brought back to the surface. It could disappear as quickly as it came. And Damon knew this all too well.

He reached out and threw a door open, revealing the master bedroom of the second floor. Elena felt her heart sink upon realizing this. Was he really going to do this to her in those poor people's bedroom? It added another whole element of disgust to her growing aversion for this situation. But one more attempt at weaseling her way out this couldn't hurt, right?

Elena stopped dead in her tracks, subsequently causing Damon to stop as well. He turned around, giving her a questioning look. _Here goes nothing,_ Elena thought, trying to allow some optimism to drown out the growing amount of fear in the back of her mind. "What happened to you, Damon? This isn't you. I understand why you think you need to do this, but it's not going to solve anything. I really don't want to lose your friendship, but if you do this –."

"You'll do what, _Elena_? Threaten that I'll 'lose you forever?' Been there, done that. As you can see I have nothing to lose now. Do you know how many times I've risked my life for you? Do you know how many times I fought with the urge to go rip someone's throat out? The way I see it, you _owe_ me. And I think that the price fits the services."

The room started spinning as Elena stood in place. How dare he justify his actions by saying that she owed him? No one forced him to stick his neck out for her. He chose to do those things. She was about to share these thoughts with him, but he cut her off again. "Elena, I swear if you say one more thing…"

That should've been enough to deter her, but she wasn't thinking clearly. How could she? The very thought of him succeeding with his plan was enough to send shivers crawling down her spine. So, she opened her mouth, starting to explain the lack of logic in his argument.

Damon didn't really register the words she was saying. A heated pit of darkness was burning inside his body. The corners of his vision blurred red, and he couldn't blink it away. His feelings of hatred toward his little brother resurfaced, consuming his thoughts. He remembered why he came to Mystic Falls in the first place – to ruin Stefan's life. All along he planned on taking Elena from Stefan. And now he was going to do just that.

He lunged forward, pinning her up against the wall. Some picture frames fell onto the ground from the force, sending shards of glass flying. Elena cringed as a couple of shards sliced along her legs. Damon smelled the blood the moment the glass broke the skin. He welcomed the feeling of veins crawling beneath his eyes, of his fangs breaking through his gums. Elena was just barely able to see his face, but she was able to see enough. Of course she'd seen Damon vamp out before, but never like this. He looked absolutely menacing.

"This would've been so much easier had you just listened to me," he whispered in her ear, trailing kisses down her neck. He appreciated the spike in her heartbeat, knowing that it was all because of him.

Elena knew that he was just about ready to bite her, and given the fact that he didn't seem to be in control of his own actions, she knew she had to get him off of her. The only problem was that his body was rock hard, keeping her body in place. Aside from scarring, harsh words, Elena really only had one other weapon. She forced herself to face the demon standing before her and, with all the strength she could muster, slapped him. Her palm burned upon the contact with skin. His head snapped to the side, surely with an imprint of her hand on his left cheek. The element of an unexpected attack certainly helped make the attack that more effective. Damon, however, thought otherwise.

A growl erupted from his chest as he wrapped his fingers around her arms, the force of his grip just about enough to break her bones. He flung her body toward the bed. She hit the bed, thankfully avoiding contact with any of the nearby furniture or tall wooden bedposts, and slipped onto the floor. Damon towered above her for a moment or two, if only to demonstrate his absolute dominance. He reached down with increased speed, tangling his fingers in her hair as he used this leverage to pull her to her feet. "That _really_ hurt, Elena," he said lowly.

Elena considered apologizing, but whimpered when he tugged harder on her hair, causing her scalp to burn fiercely. The slightest wrong action could result in him pulling her hair from her head, if she wasn't careful. Damon pulled her up onto the bed, and allowed all of his body weight to rest on her abdomen. He shook his head, almost in disappointment. "It didn't have to be this way, you know."

"Yes it did," she said quietly. "Because I wouldn't have willingly agreed." She should've kept that to herself, she knew that much. Maybe she was still under the false illusion that he really couldn't do this to her. He was about to crush every redeeming quality she thought she saw in him.

Damon leaned down slowly, a predatory glint in his eyes. His lips lingered just above Elena's, as he stole her anxious breath. Suddenly, he moved down toward her neck, fangs already engaged as he bit down into her skin. He could've made it much less painful, but he had every intention of teaching Elena a lesson. He gnawed at her flesh, chewing roughly, trying to get every ounce of blood available to him.

Elena trembled beneath him, her hands pushing on his chest, desperate to get him away from her. She screamed in absolute pain and disbelief, which eventually took on a scratchy texture once tears poured from the corners of her eyes.

She began to grow lightheaded as she felt the blood leaving her veins, being sucked away by the rabid monster on top of her. Eventually her struggles slowed, though she by no means accepted what was happening to her. And after what felt like an eternity, he pulled away from her, his teeth purposely dragging across her flesh. The limited sight that she could see horrified her. Blood was dripping from his mouth and coated his lower lip. Red and black discolorations clouded his eyes and the veins under his eyes seemed to stretch all the way down his face. She'd _never_ seen him like this before.

If him biting her was that draining and traumatizing, Elena didn't want to stick around and find out what sex would be like. She wasn't sure if she'd even be able to survive it. Damon was distracted by the heavenly taste that lingered on his tongue, licking his lips to capture every possible drop. Now was her chance. Elena reached for the alarm clock on the nightstand, using all of her remaining energy to rip it from the outlet. She slammed the clock into Damon's head, directly hitting his temple, a move that normally would've easily been blocked. As hoped for, Damon collapsed on the other side of the bed, allowing Elena to move freely.

According to her highest hopes, she just bought herself three to five minutes to escape. Holding a hand over her wound, she leaped off the bed and bolted down the stairs. Her heartbeat pounded painfully against her chest as he lungs ached for more oxygen. The house passed alongside her in a blur. Her fingers gleefully wrapped around the doorknob, ripping the door open. A cool breeze washed over her as she stepped out onto the porch. The night was calm, giving her hope for peace of her own. She continued running along the gravel driveway, the fresh air rejuvenating her.

Just as a smile began forming on her face, she felt something wrap around her torso from behind. Suddenly she was flying in the air, her movement halted once her back met the metallic surface of Damon's car. Just as quickly as it all happened, Damon was standing before her, pressing her further up against he car. Elena watched in horror as the blood from his injury slowly disappeared, along with the gash.

Although he wasn't vamped, his icy blue eyes managed to scare her as he stared down at her with such a harsh and unforgiving expression. "I never knew you liked it rough, Elena. I guess I'll have to step up my game now," he said cheerfully.

But his tone didn't fool Elena. She knew that whatever he had planned before was about to be ten times worse now.

* * *

Sorry but I wasn't ready to write the sex scene yet :l it'll be ready by the next chapter, i promise. after reading the comments from the last chapter and everything, i got stuck on whether Damon should use compulsion in some way. i might save that for another time...mostly because this time is supposed to be so unexpected for Elena. obviously she's not going to fall in love with damon right away, so give it time. this story does feature Damon's evil side, so this is to be expected, right? Lol

**THANK YOU: **someonelikeyouu, Emeloo2, BadBoysAreBest, AngelJadeO, Delena-Fan-for-life, EtherealDemon, kat, cake274, citigirl13, ayna93

As always I appreciate everyone's comments. And since it's officially summer vacation for me (and there's that annoying long wait for season 3) I'll be able to update frequently :)

But out of curiosity, which do you guys prefer - really evil Damon or slightly evil Damon? I usually write pretty graphic, gory scenes in other stories, and I'd like to add that element to this one too, but I don't want it to become too out of character...Share your thoughts!


	4. Without A Heart, There's No Breaking

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 4: Without A Heart, There's No Breaking

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_But his tone didn't fool Elena. She knew that whatever he had planned before was about to be ten times worse now._

* * *

Elena desperately dug the heels of her boots into the gravel driveway as the house came closer and closer into range. Damon was barely affected by her struggles. After all he only had to use an ounce of his true strength to move her. But Elena had motivation of her own – something else willing her additional strength.

She hated herself, not only for ending up in the situation, but also for being _so_ close to escaping. And failing. Though in the end, it was no match for a vampire.

Damon kicked the front door open and tightened his grip on Elena's arms, causing her to emit a low grunt of pain. "After all this time, did you really think you'd stand a chance? You know what I'm capable of, Elena," he said.

"You're wrong…apparently I didn't know what you're capable of, because if I did, then I would've seen this coming," she sneered.

His eyes burned into her as those words swirled around in his head, taunting him…challenging him.

"Everyone _loves_ surprises," he snarled, speeding her up against one of the towering china cabinets in the corner of the room.

Elena cried out as her back roughly met the glass doors of the cabinet. Shards rained onto her skin, embedding themselves like diamonds in sand. Blood leaked from the various incisions, thin trails collecting into one puddle at their feet.

Damon began salivating at the sight. His fingers slide down from their possessive grip on her arms toward the various bloody trails. His fingers glided smoothly along the sticky substance, smearing it across her arm. If he really wanted to he could kill her right now – drain every last drop of her delicious blood and savor the taste.

No…that wouldn't work. She wouldn't be any good to him dead. Hell, he knew that much when he first rolled into Mystic Falls.

These thoughts added severe aggravation to his developed hunger. Had he not 'changed' for Elena's sake, imagine how differently things would've played out. He could've had her from the very beginning, like he originally planned to. But then she stopped fearing him, stopped hating him for what he was and what he had done. And that got him absolutely nowhere.

She was still with _Stefan_.

She had told him that she'd always choose Stefan. Well, now Damon was going to prove her wrong, dead wrong. He wouldn't kill her, that much he knew for certain. He was going to drag this out as long as it would take for Elena to admit that she'd be his forever.

* * *

Stefan awoke slowly, his eyes adjusting to the lighting in his room. He immediately noticed the extra weight lingering on his left arm and smiled. After having an oddly intimate and passionate time together last night, Elena collapsed in his arms. It was strange to feel so happy, despite knowing the grimness of the future with the impending arrival of Klaus, but Stefan couldn't help it.

When was the last time Elena and him got a moment like this?

Feeling remarkably positive, Stefan gently kissed Elena's forehead and slithered out of bed, careful not to wake her. He was determined to find those burial grounds. And so, he sat down on the floor in the boarding house's parlor with several journals and spellbooks scattered around him.

An hour or so passed before Stefan found the words that answered his question. There on this tattered, faded piece of parchment was the identification of the witches' burial ground.

Stefan dug into his pocket anxiously and dialed Bonnie's number.

"Stefan…you realized that us humans _need_ sleep right?" Bonnie answered groggily.

"I didn't mean to wake you, but this couldn't wait. I've located the witches' burial ground. We should get over there as soon as possible."

"Alright, alright. I'll meet you at the Grill. If we're going to do this, I'm going to need something with a lot of caffeine."

"Not a problem. Elena and I will meet you there shortly."

"What?" Bonnie shouted, unintentionally louder than intended. "I mean…do you think we should bring Elena? I just don't want to endanger her."

Stefan was confused by Bonnie's suggestion. How could harm come to Elena just from going to a witch's burial site? This entire sacrifice scheme revolved around and depended on her. Shouldn't she at least be able to participate in saving herself?

"Trust me, Bonnie. She won't get hurt as long as I'm around."

Bonnie breathed heavily into the phone receiver, not caring to argue with Stefan's 'undying' love for Elena…even if it wasn't really Elena lying in his bed. "Fine," she said with slight bitterness.

Stefan forced himself to ignore the odd tones present in Bonnie's voice and stared at his phone's blank screen. He made a move to text Damon, but then stopped short. He recalled how peaceful and smooth things seemed last night, without his older brother around. Maybe he should hold off a little longer and enjoy this atmosphere while he can.

With a nod to attempt to erase any traces of guilt, Stefan cleared the text and went back upstairs to tell Elena the good news.

* * *

Elena watched Damon carefully in an attempt to anticipate his next move. Yet much to her surprise, he hadn't done anything within the past five minutes. Surely with all this blood everywhere, she expected him to have attacked her by now, not that she was complaining. Instead he was just…just standing there, staring at her with glossy eyes and blank expression. She could see that his mind was elsewhere.

Assuming this to be her final chance to escape, she took small, slow steps to the right, sliding out of Damon's noticeably loosened grip. Damon was lacking much of a response, which presented her fragile heart with immense amounts of hope.

Just when she made it a couple feet away from him, his head snapped to the side. His cold blue eyes stared at her with a menacing expression.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked.

No excuse seemed reasonable enough in Elena's head as she stood there, much like a deer in headlights. Her arms fell to her sides in defeat, her fingers curled up into tight fists. What else could she say?

"Are you really _stupid_ enough to try escaping again?" Damon said, mocking disbelief. His tone was meant to hit her where it hurt, almost reminding her how he used to speak to her when they first met – when he was a vampire, and she was a lowly human. He couldn't possibly be reverting to that monster, could he?

As he approached her, Elena held her hands up defensively, taking deep breaths between forming something positive enough to calm Damon down. She was failing miserably. But Damon was done giving her free time. He sped over to her, the shock of his sudden appearance causing Elena to lose her balance.

Damon could've easily caught her before she hit the ground, but instead he decided to watch her fall, taking in her low grunt of pain when her back collided with the hardwood floor.

She looked at him with so much fear in her eyes. It was stripping him of all self-control.

Once again using his speed, he crawled on top of her, eyeing her clothes with distaste. "You won't be needing these tonight," he muttered.

Since Elena had been forced to wear Katherine's previous outfit, it wasn't like there was much clothing there to mess with. Damon ripped the blouse right down the low-cut center, discarding the shredded remains behind him. He unbuttoned the tight-fitting jeans and slid them down her slender figure. She laid beneath him, in nothing but a bra and panties, covered in bloody trails.

Even though the blood was dry by now, Damon still longed for the taste. He smirked up at Elena's hesitant expression before running his tongue along the trails, lapping up the crusted substance as if it were his last meal. Elena cringed beneath him, having the sticky blood be replaced with his saliva.

Damon felt her move beneath him and didn't really care for her reaction. "Elena," he breathed. "If you don't want this, then I'll gladly take some more of the fresh supply." He eyed the veins in her neck with such a burning craving.

"I just want you to get off me," she mumbled. And once she realized how he would surely take that as some sort of defiance, she added, "I can't breathe."

"Oh, if that's the case, maybe I should give you some of _my_ blood then. That way if you die from asphyxiation, at least we know you'll be okay," he sneered.

"Go to hell," she spat, silently despising the thought of her becoming anything like him.

"I've already been there, Elena," he whispered in her ear. "Thanks to you, I know exactly what hell is like. And I have no intention of returning."

When he pulled his face away from her ear, she saw that he had his fangs barred. He bit into his wrist without the slightest suggestion of pain and slammed his wrist onto Elena's mouth, the force of his action pushing her skull further against the ground. She didn't have anyway to escape it.

And to make matters worse, once Damon felt confident that she was receiving his blood, he bit roughly into her shoulder, an area covered in flesh and muscle, a thick area to penetrate. Of course Elena felt every imaginable bit of pain.

His teeth slowly made their way through the layers of flesh and muscle, digging deeper until they reached a vein. Damon practically moaned when her blood began squirting into his mouth, as her cries of pain vibrated against his wrist. Eventually he abandoned that mission and focused solely on sucking her blood. Her pleas for him to stop fell upon deaf ears.

He was almost in his own world now, desperately chewing into the skin, if only to get another taste of her delicious blood.

He ripped out of his first bite and moved down her arm, slowly making his way toward her wrist, one of the worst areas to bleed from. Elena feared that he would continue to do this until she really did die and became a vampire.

With the fading remains of her strength, she unleashed an ear-piercing scream that even Damon couldn't miss. He laughed against her skin, about ready to tear another hole in her arm.

"Scream all you want, Elena. I'm the only one that can hear you."

* * *

Two brothers stumbled slowly through the woods, their shotguns held loosely in hand. Ed, the younger of the pair, yawned and stifled countless complaints about his brother's choice of time.

"Why are we out here so early? The fuckin' animals aren't even awake yet."

The elder Tom rolled his eyes and continued walking forward. "Would you just chill out? This is prime hunting time right here."

The brothers were walking along the edges of the Warner Farm. In this small community, everyone knew everyone else. They happened to know that Mr. Warner didn't really care for what they were doing. Tom wouldn't admit to it, but that was definitely one of the reasons why they always did their business so early in the morning.

Ed was about to fire off another complaint, but the verbal displeasure was caught in his throat once he heard a scream. He grabbed his brother's arm tightly, stopping both of them in their tracks. "Did you just hear that…or am I goin' crazy?"

"Under any other circumstances, I'd say you're crazy. But I heard it too."

The urgency and unexpected thrill of the situation caused Ed to subconsciously ignore his brother's comment and followed him toward the house in the center of the farm. Tom couldn't really say he'd care if something happened to Mr. Warner. But the problem was, he was sure it was a female scream.

They cautiously treaded over the dead cornfield and made their way onto the gravel driveway, instantly noticing a rather nice looking Chevy Camaro. "How the hell does a measly farmer afford _that_?" Tom muttered.

"Uh, I don't think it's his," Ed whispered nervously, staring at the gory sight before him. Tom didn't follow his brother's logic and joined him, only to find the decomposing corpses of Mr. and Mrs. Warner.

Another shrill scream filled the air, bringing them from their focus on the disturbing sight. If they were dead…then who could be screaming inside the house?

Tom charged up the stairs and onto the porch, careful to avoid stepping on Mrs. Warner. He jiggled the doorknob, only to find it locked. "You go try the back door," Tom ordered, "I'll call for help."

Ed nodded and shakily clutched his shotgun, suddenly wishing they were back in the woods, searching for the sleeping animals. He crept around the house, praying that the backdoor was unlocked. The sounds coming from inside that house sent shivers down his spine. He knew that someone was really being hurt, possibly even murdered if they didn't do something fast.

His clammy fingers wrapped around the aged bronze doorknob, a relieved breath escaping his lungs once the door opened. He held his breath once again as he stepped inside, not bothering to close the door fearing that any additional noise would spell his own demise.

"D-Damon please stop," a girl cried.

This Damon person didn't respond right away, but Ed was almost certain that it sounded like he was…biting or chewing something.

"Maybe you should've thought a little harder before you tried to run away, twice now."

"You're going to kill me if you keep this up!"

"I'd never do _that_, Elena," Damon sneered in a voice filled with false happiness. "I have an eternity to spend with you."

Ed leaned up against the wall, dreading having to confront this nutcase. He loaded two bullets into the barrels and locked the gun as quietly as possible. He was pleased with the lack of volume in his actions, but he didn't realize who, or what, he was dealing with.

He charged around the corner, aiming the gun outward in a general direction. He glanced down at the sight of the man on top of the woman. Her arm looked like some sort of rabid animal had mauled it. Her skin was tattered and torn in various places as blood bubbled to the surface of bite-mark creases. Ed was sure he couldn't find a single spot on her left arm that wasn't ripped or shredded in some way or another.

"W-what did you do to her?" he asked, horrified.

Damon glanced over his shoulder at the nervous and probably inexperienced hunter. "Looks like dessert has arrived," Damon laughed, speeding over to the man.

Ed felt his heart jump up his throat at the sight of a human speeding over to him before he could even blink. The barrel of his gun was resting up against the man's chest. Damon wore a terrifying grin and had a maniacal glint in his eyes.

"Go ahead," he challenged. "Shoot me."

* * *

Katherine hated pretending to sleep. It was yet another sign of human weakness. But, if it meant spending time with Stefan, she supposed she would have to grin and bear it until the proper time to reveal the truth would come.

She heard every word of Stefan's conversation with Bonnie. Oh how she enjoyed hearing that witch squirm and fail against Stefan's reasoning. Today should be rather amusing.

Stefan came into the room shortly after speaking to Bonnie and Katherine feigned waking up. "Morning," she smiled, perfectly imitating her doppelganger's behavior.

"I've got some great news. I found the burial ground! We're set to meet Bonnie at the Grill in half an hour."

"That's great," she replied, wrapping her arms around Stefan, pulling him into her embrace. With her flawless looks, she knew she wouldn't require much time to get ready to go. Sneaking downstairs for some blood would be the greatest challenge. "I'm going to grab some breakfast real quick."

"I could make pancakes or eggs if you want?" he offered.

"I'll take a rain check. We need to get to that burial ground as soon as possible. The sooner Bonnie increases her strength, the sooner I'll feel safer about Klaus's arrival."

Of course at the mention of Elena's safety, Stefan bought into anything Katherine had to say. That being said, she still didn't want to waste time. She sped down to the basement, grabbed a blood bag, and fiendishly sucked away at its contents. In the seconds it took to consume the blood, she discarded the plastic bag and licked her lips.

Today was going to be a _good_ day. She almost wished Damon and Elena would've disappeared long ago.

Almost as if they were to repeat the previous day's actions, Katherine and Stefan met Jeremy and Bonnie at the Grill.

"Well, it all comes down to this," Stefan observed as they drove down the dirt road along the remains of the Mystic Falls Stefan once knew.

Since he was the one driving, he failed to notice both Jeremy and Bonnie's disdainful glances in Katherine's direction. Katherine could've cared less. After all, she didn't mind taking in the sights either. She did live her at one point. It almost made her wish she could go back in time and do things differently. Almost.

"This is the sight?" Bonnie asked, hints of disbelief in her voice.

According to Stefan's directions, the witches were buried beneath a decrepit house on the outskirts of town. Neither Katherine nor Stefan knew whose house this once belonged to, but it didn't seem to matter too much.

"Let's go inside," Jeremy suggested, carrying Bonnie's spell book and some candles. Katherine mentally snickered at the sight. If they all survived Klaus's wrath, she was sure the witch would have Jeremy whipped.

The front door groaned in noticeable protest as Stefan shoved it open. _At least we can figure this out with a roof over our heads_, Katherine thought, eying the decayed, moldy ceiling.

"There's a spell in one of Jonas's books instructing how to conjure the witches' power," Bonnie explained. "Once I cast that spell, provided the witches find me worthy enough, then I will harness their power."

"Seems easy enough," Jeremy said, glancing at the pile of spell books, trying to remember which one held the right spell.

"It was this one," Bonnie said, grabbing the third book in the pile, offering Jeremy a kind smile.

They all sat down in a circle, surrounded by the series of candles that they brought. Once Bonnie began chanting, the candles lit themselves and a chill filled the air. Bonnie could feel the ghosts of the witches flowing through her, communicating with her.

Her concentration was broken once she heard two sets of screams. Her eyes shot open just in time to see an invisible force sending Stefan and Katherine flying out of the room. Jeremy smirked to himself, hoping that _that _would be all the proof Stefan needed to realize who he had been spending all this time with.

"They don't want your kind here," Bonnie whispered in a trace-like voice.

Stefan forced himself up to his feet and confirmed the barrier preventing him from entering the room. He could understand why he was thrown out. But…why Elena? "What does that have to do with Elena?" Stefan questioned.

Bonnie and Jeremy shot him a look that quickly made him feel stupid. "Unless…"

* * *

Elena bit back cries of pain as she crawled closer to the foyer where the man and Damon were standing. "Don't shoot him," she breathed. "He's not _human_."

As any other in-the-dark human would respond, Ed shot her a look of disbelief. "H-how could he not be human?"

"Why don't you shoot me and find out?" Damon challenged with a snarl, anxious to drag this man's kill out.

"Look at what he did to my arm," Elena pleaded, pointing at the shredded limb. "What kind of human can do that with his _teeth_."

Damon's anger was escalating as he glanced over his shoulder, giving Elena a severe, silent warning. What else could he do to her at this point? She was on the brink of death. Nothing, in her mind at that time, seemed worse.

Ed's hands trembled twice as much as they had when he first stepped into the house. If what this girl was saying was true…did that make this guy a vampire? He desperately wished that wasn't the case. Ed barely understood the dynamics of the universe, as it was, but now to add such a contradiction to society's norms? It's impossible…

His sweaty pointer finger rested on the trigger. Supernatural or not, taking a shot from a double-barrel shotgun at this close of a range would surely _harm_ him. After catching another glimpse at Elena's arm, there was no question in his mind. Ed pulled the trigger, feeling the gun's recoil hit his shoulder. The bullets flew right into Damon's chest, creating two holes in his shirt where blood soon appeared.

Damon glanced down at his shirt and sighed. "This was one of my _favorite_ shirts."

Ed scrambled to reload the gun, but before he could even reach his ammo, Damon had speed behind him, already healed, and had his hands wrapped around Ed's neck. "As fun as this has been…" Damon began saying. He stopped mid-sentence upon picking up on another male voice just outside the house.

"Who else is with you?" he growled.

Ed had since dropped the gun to the ground and held his hands up. "I-it's just my brother."

After hearing just a snippet of the other man's voice outside, Damon could tell that he was calling for help. He shot a heated glare in Elena's direction, wondering if she had planned this. Her mixed look of confusion and fear suggested that this might have been a coincidence. Perhaps her screams alerted them. For her benefit, Damon decided to accept that for now.

"Looks like I'll have to finish this sooner than I expected," Damon said lowly.

His fangs extended out of his gums just before he tore into Ed's neck, ripping the Carotid Artery in half. Blood coated Damon from his head down to his lower abdomen. He was practically ecstatic as he watched Ed's body drop to the ground, causing more blood to splash onto the walls as his body lay there, twitching with shock.

Elena was horrified. This monster…it couldn't be Damon! Even when she considered him to be an "evil" vampire, she was sure he'd never be capable of doing something like this. She stood up, clutching the busted china cabinet as she approached the bloody sight.

"Damon, why did you–."

"Don't worry, Elena, you'll have my undivided attention as soon as I take care of the other trespasser," he replied hastily. His voice held a hint of cheerfulness and he wore what appeared to be a genuine smile. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before speeding out the back door.

Tears drained from Elena's eye as she sat down in a corner of the room, clutching her legs up against her chest as she listened to the other man's agonizing screams of pain and surprise.

An odd sensation crept along her flesh, alerting her attention to her arm. Much to her surprise, her arm was finally starting to heal. It was creepy watching such damaged skin tissue replacing itself. Though she was thankful for the revival.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps in the kitchen and the backdoor slamming shut and locking. Elena prayed that whatever violent tendency inside of him had been taken care of by these deaths. Unfortunately, she forgot what sparked this whole situation – Damon wanted her body, in every way.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Damon said, stepping into the room. "Ah, good your wounds healed. I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to control myself."

"Is that what you're calling it?" Elena whispered bitterly. "'Control?' Damon, all you've done is lost control…"

He sped over to her secluded corner and knelt in front of her. "Is that what you think?" A low laughter grumbled in his chest. "Let me show you what true loss of control is like."

Before she could protest, or breathe for that matter, he had swooped her off the ground and carried her up into the bedroom, bridal style.

Once she was on the bed, Damon stripped her of the remaining articles of clothing, if you could even call it that. She pressed her palms up against his bare chest, ignoring the textured feel of his muscles. "You don't have to do this, Damon."

"That's where you're wrong, Elena. I already know that I can't be who you want me to be. Now it's your turn to accept it, to accept me for what I really am."

In a simple movement, he had captured her tiny wrists with one of his hands, successfully pinning her arms above her head. Her lower body writhed beneath him, but it wasn't nearly enough to deter him. His free hand slowly trailed down her arm and toward her chest. He roughly grabbed her breast, pinching the nipple every now and then, earning an additional bucking of the hips beneath him.

Elena was disgusted with the situation. She felt like a used whore, lying under him, helpless to defend her own body or thwart his efforts. He was just using her body for his own sick desires.

"Get off of me," she said lowly.

"I don't think you're in a position to tell me what to do," he laughed.

Elena didn't care for his lack of seriousness. She knew that she couldn't run away again, but at the very least she could free herself from Damon's hold and create some distance between the two. Thinking quickly, she gathered the spit in her mouth and spat it onto Damon's face.

Damon was honestly surprised by the action, though that didn't make him any less angry. He wiped the spit from his face, dragging his hand slowly down his structured cheekbone.

"I _was_ going to try to make this an enjoyable experience for both of us, but since you don't seem to want that, I guess I'll have to switch it up a bit. Sex can be a wonderful form of torture, you know."

If Elena was concerned before, she was outright terrified now. In his typical vampire speed, Damon got up off the bed, dropped his pants, and sped back on top of Elena. "You have no idea how badly I've wanted to do this," he breathed.

Elena refused to look at him, squeezing her eyes shut. Damon didn't really notice. He positioned his dick at Elena's entrance, pausing for just a moment before ramming himself inside of her. It could've been smoother, but Elena wasn't near wet enough to welcome the size of Damon's cock. Her eyes shot open as her fingers desperately gripped the pillow. With only one thrust so far, it felt as if he'd ripped layers off her inner walls.

Damon pulled out slowly before slamming back in, working on reaching a pace that suited him. He abandoned his hold on her hand and used both of his hands to grip her hips, alternating between his own thrusts and just out right pulling her body across him.

Everything seemed to blur together. Elena didn't know when…but at some point the pain transformed into overwhelming pleasure. It dwelled in her stomach and eventually crept through her entire being, creating some sort of carnal craving. Her hands flew around him, her nails digging into his back as an outlet for all this pleasurable pressure leading to her climax.

Damon had been holding back, but smirked to himself as he started borrowing a bit of his supernatural strength to _really_ throw her into a frenzy. He tore himself off her suddenly and gripped her shoulders, forcefully spinning her body around so that her back was now facing him, and she was kneeling before him on all fours. This angle allowed him to reach undiscovered areas…areas that unbeknownst to Elena would spell her weakness. It didn't take long for Damon to hit the right spot, sending Elena's head backward as her back arched in appreciation.

She didn't bother biting back the moans anymore. Both of them knew that she, or at least her _body_, was enjoying it.

Damon was extremely experienced in this field. He knew exactly when Elena was reaching her climax. He'd been ready to go off for a while now, able to get off at the very thought of fucking her. Suddenly, he pulled out of her, allowing her to collapse onto the pillows. Her body was coated in a thin layer of sweat, her hair sticking out in every direction – a sharp contrast to her normally perfectly straightened look.

Her eyes held traces of bewilderment. He'd said it himself – sex can be used as torture. And he had every intention of using it in such a manner.

Elena's throat constricted as the words left her mouth. "Why did you stop?"

Damon smirked. "Oh, I just wasn't sure if you were enjoying yourself, Elena. Do you want me to continue?"

Elena quickly realized what he was planning. He wanted her to ask for more. How could she do such a thing? Her mind's answer was clear – say no. Yet her vagina was pleading for her mind to reconsider. Her core burned with the desire of a release. She couldn't bear to withstand this…she was so close! "I…I," she mumbled.

"You're going to have to speak up. Come on, beg me for more," he sneered.

Elena felt like she was going to throw up any minute now. Her body was torn between two answers, and she was unable to mentally choose. However, her primal instincts were more than able to provide the answer. "Yes…I want...more."

"Say please."

She shot him a dirty look, but was forced to comply. "_Please._ Finish me off."

He held back laughter for her expense and did as she requested. He increased the speed a little more and sent Elena spiraling back into the world of unwanted pleasure. Soon after, Damon felt her warm juices flow down his dick. He pulled out and relieved himself as well.

Elena's breathing was labored and her body was still. She had passed out. Damon knew that that must've been a lot for her to handle. Even though his blood healed the physical wounds, she was still suffering greatly from mental abrasions.

He pulled the quilt over her resting body and tucked her in. "I'll never let you go, Elena," he whispered.

And after that experience they shared, how could he? He had succeeded. He got Elena.

Now he wanted nothing more than to rub it in his brother's face. Maybe it was time to go back home.

* * *

Hmm...does Elena really feel anything for Damon, or was it all just in the heat of the moment? Will Stefan finally realize that Katherine betrayed him, or will Kat come up with an excuse? Help is on the way thanks to Tom's phone call...how will Damon fend against the EMS and police? All will be answered in the next chapter :P

And now, another shameless promotion for my YouTube Channel: .com/user/xDarkestxAngelx026?feature=mhee

I only have 3 TVD vids so far, but more are in the works! Check them out && let me know what you think.

**THANK YOU: **DutchessTiki, Ice Nymph, SaraMalara, xMonixMoox, Delena-Fan-for-life, BadBoysAreBest, Crimson-Kiss17, damonlover, citigirl13, EtherealDemon, and AngelJadeO for your amazing comments 3. Hope this lived up to what you wanted to see.


	5. Human Monstrosity

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 5: Human Monstrosity

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_Now he wanted nothing more than to rub it in his brother's face. Maybe it was time to go back home._

* * *

Once he felt confident that Elena was soundly asleep, Damon retreated back downstairs and took in the damaged sight.

Glass and splintered pieces of wood littered the floor. Blood had pooled and smeared in various places between the dinning room and the hallway.

He had never intended for this. Having to hurt Elena was by far the _worst_ part of this ordeal, but what choice did he have? It's not like he was capable of bearing his soul to Elena. And even if he could, he doubted she would care or listen after this.

His eyes landed on the corpse at his feet. The remorse fleeted from his mind. The man was wearing a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots. His gun of choice suggested that he was out hunting. Though Damon had killed him and the other intruder in a blur, he did pick up on the loose physical resemblance. They had been two brothers out for an early morning hunt. Too bad they couldn't mind their own business.

But the thoughts had already been planted, taking Damon back to a memory of his own brotherhood.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1847_

_ Damon had only been four years old, but he would never forget the annual fishing trips he went on with his mother and uncle. They would take a carriage down to The Falls, a beautiful lake with a couple of waterfalls pouring into it. From what he could recall, his mother loved fishing. _

_ He would never go another trip, though. Unfortunately, his mother died after giving birth to Stefan. _

_After the mourning had passed, his uncle tried to continue the tradition, but his father, Giuseppe, refused, claiming that fishing was a sport of the poor. He refused to speak to any relatives from his wife's family. _

_This never affected Stefan, but it killed Damon._

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1853_

_ There wasn't a day that passed when Damon didn't think of his mother. He would try to ask Giuseppe for help, but his father had buried his sadness in her grave and instead married his work. All he cared about was the family's plantation and Stefan. _

_Damon hadn't understood his father's logic. Shouldn't he hate Stefan? _He_ was the reason she died. _

_ Damon coped with his feelings and by the time he was ten years old and Stefan was five, he decided to take advantage of his father's lack of attention. _

_ "Where are we going, brother?" Stefan whispered curiously. _

_ "It's a surprise, Stef," Damon replied curtly, struggling to sneak the fishing poles and bait into a carriage. _

_ "Why isn't daddy coming?" _

_ "He's too busy. If you keep talking, you'll surely ruin this!" _

_ Damon's tone was enough to silence Stefan. _

_ They rode in the carriage in a heavy silence. Damon was too concerned with the passing scenery than anything Stefan had to say, anyway. Even though he wasn't very fond of his younger sibling, he still felt he should be involved in this family tradition. _

_ Damon explained how their mother used to come out here to fish all the time. Then he had to explain what a fish was and what they did with the fish after they caught them. Stefan was like an endless barrel of questions. But Damon wouldn't let that stop him from enjoying this day. _

_ The sun was shinning brightly above the lake, reflecting off its smooth surface. It was as if his mother was looking down on him, her presence just beside him. _

_ It took some time to explain the mechanics to Stefan, who managed to tangle himself in the line multiple times. Damon decided that it would be best to throw the fish back after catching them. He didn't want to have to explain why the fish were dying to Stefan. _

_ After a couple of hours, Damon decided that it would probably be best if they returned home. As it turns out, their absence had been noted. Giuseppe was waiting on the front porch, a stern look on his face and arms crossed over his chest. _

_ "And just where did you get the preposterous idea that you could leave without permission?" he snarled. _

_ "We didn't want to disturb your work, father," Damon replied. _

_ "So, this is your doing," he said lowly before slapping his son roughly. Damon almost lost balance, clutching his stinging cheek. "And so you continue to be such a disappointment. Come on, Stefan, it's almost time for supper." He bent down and carried the younger Salvatore inside, leaving Damon crumbled on the porch steps, using every ounce of his being to bite back tears. _

_ He always found it ironic that Stefan had killed their father, when the honor should've been reserved for him._

* * *

Damon felt his anger boil to a new level. Sure, some of his time spent as a human was acceptable and even capable of being missed and treasured.

But most of the emotions he experienced were on the negative spectrum, which eventually made being a vampire sound more and more appealing.

His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly as his mind raced. He felt like a bomb slowly ticking toward detonation.

And the sound of sirens was what ended up setting him off.

* * *

Everyone watched Stefan with various expressions.

Bonnie and Jeremy were biting back grins, anxious to hear his realization.

Katherine wore a bored expression, though there were surely hints of racked nerves beneath the exterior.

Stefan was staring at the ground, wearing the most brooding expression to this day. "Unless…wait, it all makes sense now!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Damon's disappearance…you also being locked out of the room…Damon turned you into a vampire!"

Since Stefan's back was facing her, Katherine instantly seized this moment of his stupidity. She grabbed her fake heartbeat machine and crunched it between her fingers, tossing the small remains to the side. This may end up working better than she imagined.

Bonnie was about to counter Stefan's unbelievable answer, but froze in her tracks when she caught Katherine's stare. She ran a slender finger across her throat and smirked deviously. So, Bonnie backed down, realizing that she'd have to wait till Stefan was alone. After all "Elena" had to go back home some time.

"Oh my God, you must've gone through a world of pain. Why didn't you tell me?" Stefan asked, spinning around and running to Katherine's side.

Katherine immediately responded to her assigned role. "I…I was so scared of how you'd react. I didn't want you to try and go after Damon. He won't be coming back for a while. He…he really regrets what he did, that's why he left, Stefan."

"How did you transition?" The question basically was asking, "who did you kill?"

"This morning, remember when I didn't want you to cook for me? I sneaked downstairs and had a blood bag. I could never kill a human, and the cravings have been aching in the back of my head since we left, but I want to be strong, for _us_."

Stefan wrapped his arms around her and began rubbing her back. So many thoughts were running through his mind. In secret silence, he was thrilled that Damon did this because it meant he could truly spend an eternity with Elena and he didn't have to be the one to take away her mortality. He only hoped that this was what she wanted. Though, given her reaction, he felt relief.

"Why don't we go wait outside while Bonnie conjures the witches? If we can find some animals, I can teach you how to hunt. If Caroline can do it, I know you can," he laughed.

"That sounds great. Thank you, Stefan." Katherine mentally gagged at the thought of consuming such low quality blood. But it would be worth it in the end.

This was already working out far greater than either her or Damon could've imagined.

* * *

Elena rolled over, not realizing that she was already laying on the edge of the bed and fell to the ground. The faint sound of sirens played in the distance, surely closing in on their hide out. Her heart fluttered with the remotest hope of escape, but then remembered _what_ Damon was.

A whole precinct of cops couldn't stand up to him.

"Shit," she muttered, scrambling to collect the shredded remains of her clothes. She needed to get downstairs before another massacre took place.

A headache had arrived just beneath her forehead, slowing her actions. Though given the extreme amount of physical activity she had just endured, she was surprised that that was all she really felt at the time. Thankfully any blood had either dried or been wiped off. She bolted out of the room, clinging to the railing as she sprinted down the stairs.

The front door had been ripped off its hinges, revealing what was taking place outside. Elena could hardly stand looking at it. She bit down on her lower lip and cowardly shielded her eyes from the gory sight.

Some of the cops noticed her. "There she is. Send the paramedics in," an officer ordered through a megaphone.

A couple of men wearing a hospital uniform raced toward her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she shook her head, trying to form the words, trying to tell them to stay away.

A hail of bullets trailed Damon as he chased after them. He lunged forward and shoved a hand into each of their bodies, slicing through the flesh and spine and reaching all the way through their chests. A couple of blood-soaked, _still_ beating hearts rested in his hands. His arms in their bodies was the only thing keeping them standing up, for they collapsed into a heap once he pulled out.

Elena stared up at him with a mixed look of horror and disgust. She had so many things she wanted to scream at him, but was distracted by the fact that one of the paramedics was still just barely alive, dying a slow, horrific death.

She boldly shoved her way past Damon and knelt down at the man's side, taking his hand in hers. "I'm so sorry for this," she whispered. "Thank you for trying to help me." His eyes were wide and his chest was expanding and contracting rapidly as he tried to suck more breaths. She tried her best to comfort him in his last moments, but she knew that after what he experienced, that may be damn near impossible.

She let out a startled scream as Damon tightly gripped her shoulders and shoved her against the porch railing. "This is for your own good," he muttered, reaching for a hose and wrapping it around her.

"How is this for my own good?" she asked, incredulously. "They're here to _help_."

"What can they do for you? My blood is all you need to heal," he snarled, tightening the knot before turning to face the fleet of policemen still left alive.

Damon charged forward, his body occasionally being slowed down when a bullet or two pierced his immortal flesh. He was able to kill multiple people at once, biting roughly into one officer's neck, tearing away the skin, and snapping the neck of someone else simultaneously.

Once they realized that he wasn't particularly human, they began panicking, causing them to become easier prey. Some tried retreating in their car, but Damon sped over to the road. He let the car hit him, knowing his body would easily heal, before he threw the car clear into the woods, several yards from the road. Some of the cars made contact with some trees and exploded into a fiery mess. Elena was sure that she could hear their screams of agony.

And that was with regular human ears, nonetheless.

* * *

Bonnie couldn't believe Stefan was that dumb. He'd figured out Katherine's guise before…what made this so different? She sighed as she slumped down onto to the floor, her head in her hands.

Did she even need to conjure the witches' power now?

Wait, what was she thinking…of course she did. This wasn't Elena, which meant the real Elena is still human, and still very capable of dying at Klaus' sacrifice alter. Stefan and Katherine had already left the house, so at least she wouldn't have to deal with Stefan's protests and comments.

He doesn't get to share his opinion anymore after that spectacle.

Jeremy held the spell book in an aggravated silence. Bonnie chanted the summoning spell and mentally prepared for the overwhelming presence as all the surrounding candles burst into flame.

The witches' angered voices filled the air, though Bonnie was the only one able to understand what was being said. Her eyebrows furrowed as panic spread across her features. "No," she whispered. "No, you don't understand!"

Jeremy shook Bonnie's shoulders, trying to get her attention. "Bonnie, what's wrong? What are they saying?"

"They're saying they refuse to help vampires and don't see why I'm even calling on them for help."

"Tell them that's _Katherine_. The girl we're trying to save is human!"

Bonnie pleaded with the bodiless voices. The flames on the candles grew so tall, it was hard to believe they hadn't caught the old house on fire yet. "She's my best friend! I don't know what I'll do if I lose her," she pleaded. "I swear that girl out there, she's not Elena Gilbert!"

Emily Bennett spoke up out of the group. "I can confirm that that is indeed Katherine Pierce. She is speaking the truth."

Bonnie stared at the ceiling with anticipation. "Please help me," she whispered, before collapsing on the ground, hearing the faint sound of Jeremy calling out her name.

* * *

There wasn't a single policeman left standing, and no one was able to escape. Bodies littered the farmland, reminding Damon of the sights he'd seen during his brief stint with the Confederate army in 1864. Carnage didn't bother him, but it was causing Elena's stomach to churn violently.

The sight was unbelievable…inhumane.

Damon was walking toward her, his black button-up shirt torn and covered in dirt and blood. There were still veins under his eyes and his chest was heaving up and down. She couldn't even see any skin on his hands…just layers upon layers of blood.

She began trembling and shaking her head when he knelt down next to her. The whites of his eyes were completely bloodshot, like some sort of blood vessel burst and bled into his eyes. He looked like a monster. She leaned further back into the wooden post, trying her best to ignore the pain.

He was able to rip the hose off of her in a simple gesture, yet it had taken her best efforts to fail previously. "There," he breathed, the veins slowly vanishing. "Now we don't have to worry about them anymore."

"We never h-had to worry about them," she stammered. "They were just trying to do their jobs!"

"I don't know if I've made myself clear enough yet, Elena, but _no one_ is going to get between us. They were a threat to our relationship and I had to do what was necessary to protect you."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she cried, shoulders heaving as sobs racked her chest. She fell into Damon's welcoming arms, too distraught to care about the blood anymore.

"Love makes people do crazy things," he replied. He stared down at her shaking, fragile body and hesitated before wrapping an arm around her. "It's not safe here anymore. We should head back home...come up with a Plan B."

Elena's heart fluttered at the thought of returning home to safety, despite knowing about the looming sacrifice ritual. She prayed that it went unnoticed in Damon's mind. "Okay," she said softly.

He helped her up to her feet and held the door open as she slid into the passenger seat. She flashed him a quick smile as a plan hatched in her mind.

She knew what she needed to do to escape Damon Salvatore.

* * *

Wow...okay, so Stefan isn't the brightest knife in the drawer. Think about the situation, though. Katherine had a "heartbeat," she has Elena's personality and behavior memorized, and Damon suddenly left town inexplicably. We'll see, maybe Stefan will put two and two together soon. A bit of Damon's "humanity" is revealed here too...lots of family angst going on there. And what's Elena planning? How can she possibly escape Damon?

sorry for the delayed update. i meant to get this out last week, but some drama went down at a party i threw last weekend and I've had to deal with all that . but i'm trying to get back on track here, so bear with me please :)

if you haven't checked out my new story **In Love With A Killer**...you should!

Comments?

**THANK YOU: **Delenaluver, UnlockTheKeyToMyHeart, jesslovesjohnny, Emmy, my 2 guys, QueenBee10, ShaniceyBee11, Emeloo2, EtherealDemon, citigirl13


	6. The Art of Telling Lies

Forever Got Too Long 

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 6: The Art of Telling Lies

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_She knew what she needed to do to escape Damon Salvatore._

* * *

Elena couldn't recall how far away from Mystic Falls they were. Regardless, she knew it was at least a couple hours away, and that was more than she could bear. The thought of having to put on a happy face for that long around Damon seemed impossible. She needed to save her willpower and strength for when she'd be requiring it. As soon as they arrived in Mystic Falls, she would put her plan in action and escape Damon's possessive hold.

She rested her head against the cool glass window, not caring whether or not Damon was still watching her. She felt her consciousness vanish as more positive, hopeful images filled her mind.

Damon, on the other hand, tried to stay focused on the road. But how could he? There were so many thoughts, impulses running through his head. Elena hadn't put up any complaint or protest before they left the bloody farmhouse. In fact, she almost seemed happy, but was her smile really for him?

The drive would last a couple of hours, no doubt. That gave him plenty of time to plan his next move. He wasn't sure if he was ready to confront Stefan just yet. No, he should wait. After all, it wouldn't look as impressive if Elena wasn't truly accepting of her relationship with Damon. That would be outright humiliating.

And so his mind was set. Once they returned to Mystic Falls, he would find a secluded abandoned or foreclosed house and keep her there. Once he trusted her enough, he'd return to the town and check in with Katherine. Soon enough, he would have his victory over his younger sibling. And it will taste so sweet.

* * *

Katherine had spent the remainder of the day in the woods with Stefan, watching him put his best effort into hunting squirrels and rabbits, gently biting into their furry necks and sucking them dry. _He could be using that power for something so much better_, she thought in annoyance.

It practically killed her to have to chew on the carcass of a fox. There were small bugs nested in its auburn fur, surely. And the taste of hair was far from appealing. The blood made her cringe, her tongue so accustomed to the finer cuisine. Stefan noticed her displeasure and sighed.

"Well, I guess that's enough for today. How do you feel? Are you still hungry?"

Katherine tried her best to smile without snarling. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay for the night. Thank you for helping me, Stefan."

He grinned and wrapped an arm around her, leading her back to the trail. "You know, I was afraid that you would start to act like Katherine after you were turned," he said softly, "but I'm glad that wasn't the case. You're still you, and you're willing to live like me. That means so much."

It took all her power to not break the arm still wrapped loosely across her shoulders. How could he think so badly of her? So she had compelled him and gave him the gift of immortality. Those were necessary, and deep down inside he had to know that, too.

She remained fairly silent on the walk back to the boarding house. Stefan threw a match into the impressive fireplace and watched it start to incinerate some wooden logs, creating a huge, cackling flame. Katherine positioned herself comfortably on the couch and he soon joined her.

"What do you think our next step should be, you know, since Bonnie has all that power now?"

Katherine subtly rolled her eyes. She was sick and tired of hearing about the sacrifice. They had spent all day trying to improve their chances by turning the witch into a walking weapon. Honestly, what good would it do to continue talking about it tonight?

She sighed, forcing herself back into character. "I'm not sure, Stefan. Don't you think we could…take a break from talking about all things sacrificial? Maybe, we could do something…else?"

Her voice was smoky, as were her eyes, glazed with lust. Sure, she was pleased to have spent all this time with Stefan, but she wanted more. She wanted to be as close as possible to him. She hadn't felt that since 1864. And she was tired of waiting. She needed _him_ now.

She could see Stefan swallow roughly. A smirk graced her pouty lips; she was making him nervous, and it was only fueling her burning desire. "Come on, Stefan," she breathed, pulling him down on top of her. She looked into his eyes and fiercely met his lips head on. He didn't pull back or look horrified, like he had when they were locked in the tomb together. And it caused her stomach to flutter.

Finally, he joined her, in the closest possible way. His arms held her in a cozy embrace as the flames' light flickered across her angelic face. His thrusts were slow and steady, accurate. She turned her head to the side, a low moan slipping past her parted lips. His fingers caressed her skin as he peeled layers away, exposing her chest.

This was new to Katherine, who had preferred this moment of intimacy to be rough and fast. He never held her this tenderly…with so much love. She bit back the urge to take over control and let him continue down this path. Being overcome with such a foreign feeling would've been more than enough to help her reach an orgasm.

* * *

Bonnie was lying in her bed, restless. Her house was so still and silent, yet her body felt like it needed to be in a constant motion. What was wrong with her? Could this be some sort of side effect for harnessing all this power? She shook her head and sat up, leaning against the headboard, pondering.

And then, like a huge gust of air smacking her in the face, she realized what it was. "Elena's back in Mystic Falls," she gasped. She scrambled over to her desk and dug around in search of the town's map. All she needed to do was find out _where_ in Mystic Falls.

She collected her spell book, the map, and some candles in a backpack and raced over to Jeremy's house, texting him so that he knew to expect her. Thankfully, he was still awake and able to let her into the Gilbert house.

"What's going on?" he asked.

She beamed. "Elena's back! I'm going to do a locator spell to find out where she is specifically, so I'll need some of your blood."

"That's awesome," Jeremy said, holding out a finger for Bonnie to prick. "I wonder if Katherine knows she's back."

Bonnie shrugged. "Hard to say. I guess it just depends on how deep her and Damon's reliance is."

She let the blood drop off the pin she used and watched as it started to glide across the map once she began the chant. "There," she observed the bloody dot, "he's taken her to some place in the woods, near the falls."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head over there," he said, eagerly.

Bonnie drove into the thick forestry, having to rely mostly on dirt roads. "Damon sure knows how to pick these places," she muttered. Though her eyes brightened when she caught sight of his car, with the moonlight shimmering off its smooth metallic surface. "Just wait till I get my hands on him!"

* * *

Katherine and Stefan's sexual excursion ended peacefully, him pulling her against his rock hard, bare chest, as they breathed in sync and watched the fire die down into small embers, far from its former glory.

"Are you ready for bed? Technically, we don't _need_ sleep, but I'm sure you're still more accustomed to your life as human than this new one as a vampire," Stefan said.

Katherine nodded. "You're right. Do you mind if I go downstairs and treat myself to a blood bag first?"

"That's fine," he replied, following her toward the basement.

She laughed, almost bitterly, but presumed he didn't notice. "I can do it on my own."

"I know you can. I was just…you know what, it's okay. I'll meet you upstairs." He planted a small kiss on her forehead and went up to his bedroom, awaiting her presence.

_Good_, she thought, watching him carefully, _he isn't suspicious at all. Improved hearing is worthless if you don't think you need to use it._

She waited just a moment longer before sneaking out the back door and stepping into the woods on the edge of the property. She had been using Elena's cell phone in front of him every now and then, just for regulation, but now she held a sleek iPhone, _her_ phone. She dialed a number with an unfamiliar area code and awaited the voice she hadn't heard in years now. Lucy Bennett.

"Katherine," she answered, suppressing her surprise. "I've been waiting for your call. I assume this has something to do with Klaus and the doppelganger?"

"That's right. She's with a friend of mine, a _vampire_, and he's keeping her locked up. Until Klaus arrives, we need to make sure she stays out of the way. I'll need you to find them and do some sort of spell to keep her locked up."

"And will doing so remove my debt to you?"

"We'll see about that," Katherine grinned. "Don't call me back unless it's to tell me that she's locked in place."

After completing the call, Katherine stared up at the nearly full moon and smiled. At last, after so many years of running, soon it'd all be over. Klaus will be satisfied and she can live wherever and however she wanted.

All thanks to Elena Gilbert.

* * *

Damon stole a glance at the passenger seat and was surprised to find that Elena was still asleep. _She's probably been faking,_ he thought, rolling his eyes. _It doesn't really matter. She won't have a reason to fake anything once they got inside._

He had located a small house with rustic charm, nestled deep in the woods beyond the falls. Even in the darkness, he could acknowledge the place's natural beauty, despite it being winter. He walked around the car and gently lifted Elena, all of it seeming mechanical by now.

Once she was situated in his arms, he started walking toward the house. She moved slightly, nuzzling her head further up against his chest, showing her uninhibited innocence. He leaned backwards slightly and used his strength to kick the locked door open, using enough force to break the lock without breaking the door.

The house itself smelled like an old, musty basement, and the furniture was cloaked in white sheets. It might take Elena a while to adjust to this place, but he was sure they would come to like their new home, even if a little bit of force would be necessary.

He located the one bedroom in the house, down the hall from the kitchen and living room, and placed her on the bed. As he gently closed the door behind him, he froze in his tracks, hearing the sound of squealing tires before seeing the headlights.

"Oh come _on_," he growled. "We just got here. Who the hell is already trying to bother us?" He stared into the darkness and recognized the car immediately. "Of course…it's the witch."

The headlights from Bonnie's car flooded into the small house, shining in Damon's eyes. Perhaps it was a good thing Elena was asleep right now…that gave him a chance to talk his way out of this situation to spare Bonnie from having to do another 'vampire-mental-explosion' spell.

He walked outside casually, a sharp contrast with Bonnie and Jeremy's hesitant, though angered stances. "Bonnie, Jeremy," he said with a forced amount of cheeriness. "Impressive tracking time."

"Would you expect anything less from the power of hundreds of dead witches?" she challenged.

Damon's eyebrows quirked unintentionally; his surprise was that significant for a brief moment. "I'm surprised you managed to pull that off," he acknowledged.

She looked taken aback, almost hurt, for a moment, but shrugged it off. "Where's Elena?"

"Inside," he said, nodding toward the house. "_Asleep_," he added.

"Good, then she won't have to see what I'm going to do to you."

"Excuse me, Bonnie, but I believe you should be thanking me."

Jeremy snorted. "You're crazy, dude."

"Am I?" Damon challenged. "I didn't realize that trying to protect Elena made someone crazy."

"How are you protecting her? Just by keeping her out of Mystic Falls? If that was the case, then you wouldn't have returned so soon," Bonnie snarled.

"It's all a part of the plan. Now I know that we can be tracked by witchcraft, which means I'll need a witch to help block off our location. See? Problem solved, crisis averted!" Damon threw his hands up in the air with mockery.

"That may be your side of the story, but not Elena's. And something tell me her opinion might be different. If I find out that you hurt her, I swear I'll –."

"Is that really what you think of me, after all that we've been through?" Damon said, successfully cutting her off. Of course he didn't care what someone like her thought of him, but he knew exactly what to say to extract enough guilt.

She cocked her head back, evidently surprised. She'd never heard him say anything in such a hurt tone like that before. "Damon…vampires…I…," she sighed. "You're right. You have improved since you turned Caroline and all of this has happened. But, Elena's my best friend and you have to understand that I'm worried for her."

Damon stepped forward and placed two hands on her shoulders. "She'll be safe with me, and that's something I can promise."

Jeremy eyed him with suspicion. He didn't really get along well with Damon, but he had to admit his crazed loyalty to Elena might come in handy when dealing with someone like Klaus.

"Fine," Bonnie agreed quietly. "We'll be back sometime tomorrow. I want to at least see her."

"Sure," Damon replied.

He remained standing outside of the house, much like a guard dog, until Bonnie's car was buried in the woods. Like hell she'll be seeing Elena anytime soon.

* * *

Elena was startled by the severe darkness. Had it really been that long since she passed out? And where did this bed come from…? She sat up slowly, stretching before getting off the bed. The house they were in clearly hadn't been used in quite some time, and she was choking on the dust that lingered in the air.

She peered out a smeared window and found Damon standing in the driveway, just looking out into the woods. She gazed out into the distance, trying to figure out where exactly they were. If they were indeed in Mystic Falls, that would things much easier. Her eyes analyzed the trees, a mass of stick forms scattered across the brown ground. Then, there it was – the falls, the staple of Mystic Falls. She knew _exactly _where they were. And the best part was, this was walking distance from the boarding house!

But Elena felt her excitement drop once she heard the front door open and shut. Sure, the boarding house may be close, but she'd have to make it past Damon first. Of course she already had a partial plan hatching in her mind, but it was so much easier to think than it was to actually act on.

Damon stepped into the kitchen, pleased to see that she was awake. "You have a strange sleeping schedule," he said. "Are you sure you're not a vampire?"

She found herself laughing at his joke, despite herself. If she wanted to pull this off, then it needed to believable, though not too suspicious. "Not yet," she joked. "So, what were you doing out there?"

"I thought I heard something, so I was just making sure the place was secure."

Elena knew that her safety was one of Damon's priorities, but the thought of him protecting her seemed hard to stomach lately, when he was the one causing her so much pain.

She nodded. "This house is…nice."

"It's not really my style, but it fit the bill. At least now we don't need to worry about killing anyone."

Elena grimaced, recalling the bloody scene they left behind, but said nothing of it. "That's good to hear. Look, Damon," she began. "I know that this has been a weird, crazy couple of days, but I've been doing some thinking…"

Damon looked intrigued. "Do tell."

"I was wrong, wrong to fight these feelings. All this time, I used Stefan as my reason for why I couldn't love you. But he wasn't a reason; he was an excuse. I was scared to admit to my feelings for you."

He seemed hesitant to respond. Did that mean she wasn't selling it good enough? She stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm sorry I treated you that way, Damon," she breathed. "Let me make it up to you."

She was almost frozen in place upon witnessing the look on his face. For the first time, Elena saw Damon's vulnerability. It sent a bolt of guilt racking through her body, enflaming her insides. Could she really do this to him? The thought of hurting him so badly made her feel sick.

_I can't do this_, she thought. _I can't be the one to hurt him again. That would…that would make me just like Katherine, wouldn't it?_

* * *

**A/N: **what do you guys think? will elena choose sympathy over freedom? imagine how mad damon's going to be if he catches on to her act ;)

Youtube update: in addition to the boarding house trailer, I've added a damon/katherine and a damon/rose video. check them out!

**THANK YOU: **my 2 guys, GenerationY, jesslovesjohnny, Emmy, Caro, Vanillawave1120, and QueenBee10 for your comments love you all!


	7. It Leaves A Bitter Taste

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 7: It Leaves A Bitter Taste

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_I can't do this_, she thought. _I can't be the one to hurt him again. That would…that would make me just like Katherine, wouldn't it?_

* * *

Elena knew that any more silence between them would expose her malicious intentions. She desperately wished there was another way, both because she didn't want to partake in the action and because she didn't want to crush Damon so badly.

Hadn't he been fairly nice to her since they left the farmhouse?

But she was in too deep now. If she accepted her fate and stayed with Damon, she would still have to follow through with her advance. She couldn't just sit there and act like Damon's little whore. That wasn't who she was.

It would be better to fake a little romance for a cause then to do it out of captivity. Besides, Katherine had scorned him so badly 150 years ago. Surely this little incident of deceit couldn't compare to what Katherine did to him.

Damon swallowed roughly before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against his body. "That's all I needed to hear," he said, kissing her forehead.

_Where is this side of Damon coming from_? Elena thought in a panic. _Why does he have to make _everything_ difficult? I can't even feel good about doing this to him because now he decides to act remotely human. _

She replied with a silent, hardly cheerful smile. She hoped that her actions wouldn't appear to be too sudden, thus drawing suspicion, but then again it was Damon she was dealing with. _I just want to get this over with, for both our sakes, _she thought desperately.

"What about this?" she asked, a slight quiver in her voice. She gripped the collar of Damon's shirt and pulled his face into hers. Their lips locked a little too naturally.

Thankfully, Damon took over control from there. For once his dominant personality really came in handy. He held her face in his hands as his tongue slid along the inside of her lower lip. She snaked around his body, running her fingernails down his back.

She tried picturing Stefan's face along the darkened interior of her eyelids, but for some reason, even when she did, it still didn't help. She found herself _preferring _to admit that her lips were attached to those of Damon Salvatore.

The moment she felt his hands sliding up her shirt, she pulled back unexpectedly, gasping for air. Her cheeks were burning red, she could feel the heat rising. She was starting to enjoy that.

"Too much for you?" Damon asked, with a cocky smirk.

Elena recovered her composure and shot back an equally arrogant look. "Not even close," she breathed.

Damon's eyebrows rose in interest and surprise. He wanted more of this new Elena. He didn't know how or why she came into being, but he was glad that she finally did. He was going to lean in for more, but she backed away. He gave her a questioning look.

Elena realized that that must've looked really strange, but what else could she do? She can't let him take this any further and she needed an excuse to get him out of the house now. "Uh, don't you think the mood would be a little more romantic if there was a nice fire over there?" she suggested, nodding toward the fireplace.

Damon followed her direction and found that there was indeed a fairly quaint looking fireplace there. "That's actually a very good idea," he agreed. "I can chop down a tree or two and make logs probably in under a minute."

Elena laughed, knowing it to be possible. She watched Damon carefully as he walked over to the corner and picked up a rusty axe.

Damon sped over to her, axe in hand, nearly sucking the breath right from her lungs. "While I am interested in this new opinion you have, let me just say one thing." Slowly, he raised the axe until the edge rested up against Elena's throat. "If you try anything stupid, you'll have to deal with the consequences."

Elena knew that if she looked worried or extremely frightened, that might make Damon suspect that she was in fact up to something. So, she forced herself to take a subtle deep breath and push the axe a safe distance away. "Then I guess it's a good thing we don't need to worry about that."

Damon's threatening demeanor vanished a few seconds later and he stood there with the axe in hand, grinning. "Good. Well, I'll be back in a flash," he said, leaving with a wink.

Elena held her breath until she heard the door close. After exhaling, she made a dash for the keys resting on the counter. Given Damon's speed, Elena figured that he was probably already far enough away from the yard for her to leave. She dashed out to the car and sped down the dirt road leading out of the woods and toward the boarding house.

Feeling the paranoia settle in, Elena glanced out the window and at the mirrors every couple seconds. She didn't want to even think about what Damon would do if he caught up to her before she reached Stefan.

* * *

Katherine slid her phone securely into a pocket and returned back inside, deciding to make a detour down to the basement. She got quite a bit accomplished today, so she felt that she deserved a treat…or at least something to wash down the awful taste that rabbit blood leaves behind.

She ripped into several bags before discretely discarding them behind the fridge. By the time anyone found them, she was sure that this rouse would be expired anyway. Her body felt alive and regenerated, hardly a condition to be in when you have to pretend to fall asleep. But, nevertheless, she slinked upstairs to Stefan's room, stopping short with her hand frozen on the doorknob.

Since she'd just drunk a large amount of human blood, her senses were particularly keen right now. Without much effort, she unintentionally heard the sound of squealing tires, getting closer and closer to the driveway in front of the boarding house. Katherine took a few steps backward and crept into a guest bedroom, peering out the front window.

At first she was confused to find Damon's car parked out front. But once she saw who got out of the driver's seat, it all made sense. Looks like she should go put on a show for her human doppelganger. Now Elena will get a taste of what it's like to watch someone steal your appearance _and_ your lover.

* * *

Damon was right. He managed to get an armful of freshly chopped logs cut in less than 60 seconds. On his way back to the house, he imagined countless wild fantasies of all the things that he could do with Elena tonight. It was like a whole new world now that was she was _willing. _Though, he didn't mind having to force her into submission, this will certainly be the easier and perhaps healthier route.

He kicked the door open and tossed the logs on the ground, glancing up quickly, expecting to see Elena waiting for him. The kitchen/living room was empty.

"Someone's eager," he teased, stepping slowly into the bedroom, only to find it to be abandoned as well. The silence settled in like a suffocating layer above the realization.

_She tricked me_.

At first, he felt numb, completely void of any sort of reaction or emotion. Shouldn't he be used to this by now? How many times had he tried and failed to find love? Maybe it just wasn't meant for him. Maybe he really is just a monster, destined to hunt and kill.

He was growing tired of being in this position, time after time. He restrained himself, for Elena's sake, and it got him nowhere. He tried being nice to her the past two days, unless she asked for trouble.

A burning chill swam beneath his skin, igniting such a rage. His mind was set. Elena would pay for what she did to him. And he was going to make sure she never double-crossed him again.

It didn't take a witch to figure out that Elena went straight to the boarding house. Unsure of his plan of action, Damon decided to speed over there and just listen, taking in the situation. He stood in the forest, watching her race into the boarding house.

What would happen next would be interesting to say the least. Damon wondered how Stefan would react once he finds out the truth, or if Elena even gets that far. With Katherine in the house, anything could happen.

One thing was for sure, though. This would not be a pleasant, safe visit for Elena. She'll come running out of there, surely heartbroken, soon enough. And when she did, Damon decided he'd give her a moment of false security before striking.

* * *

Elena barged into the boarding house, not caring that it was already so late in the night. Stefan was a _vampire_; he didn't need sleep. The house, ever so immense and eerie, was completely still and silent.

"S-Stefan?" she called out quietly. Her stomach lurched with unease.

She considered her options. He probably wasn't in the basement, or in any other room on the first floor. So, she decided to go straight up to his room. Her steps were slow and cautious, almost as if she expected some trap to spring to life beneath her feet. She wasn't sure what was making her so uncomfortable, but she was sure part of it had to be because she feared Damon coming to find her before she got to Stefan.

Elena stared at Stefan's ancient cherry wood door with hesitance. But her racing heartbeat reminded her that time wasn't on her side right now. Each of these passing seconds could be her last with Damon surely realizing by now that she was gone. After taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to reach for the doorknob, only to fall short when bits of a conversation drifted through the thick door.

"Stefan, I know there's been a lot of crazy things going on lately, more than usual, but I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me…" Elena heard _her _voice but knew that it wasn't her speaking. It was Katherine.

She could hear the rustling of sheets and could picture Stefan reaching for Katherine and pulling her into his embrace, as he'd done to her all those times she'd sneaked out to spend the night at the boarding house.

_He must be acting_, she thought distraughtly. _There's no way he could mistake her for me. Any other time she pulled this trick, he instantly knew it was her. She doesn't have a heartbeat! _

"I love you, Elena. And once we get through this whole sacrifice ordeal, I promise that nothing else will bring harm to Mystic Falls, or you."

It felt as if her heart had just been ripped from her chest, like she'd seen Elijah do to those men who planned to hand her over to Klaus at Slater's apartment. How could Stefan be so stupid? She tried to find some tone of deceit in his words, but she knew when Stefan was being genuine.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she heard Damon say from behind her. She gasped and spun around, only to find the hallway as empty as it was since she arrived. What, was she hallucinating now too?

She couldn't take it anymore. She shoved the door open and boldly stepped inside, not caring that tears streaked her cheeks. "How dare you," she said lowly.

Stefan jumped into a sitting position, his head snapping back and forth between the two brunettes. Normally when these doppelganger pranks took place, he'd believe the person in Elena's position to be Katherine. But…there was a vampire in his bed.

And he could hear Elena's rattled, unsteady heartbeat loud and clear from across the room.

Stefan turned his stare back to Katherine, who suddenly no longer looked a thing like Elena. "How did you–?" Stefan couldn't quite find the words to express his confusion, though Katherine knew exactly what he was trying to say.

"I must say I'm impressed, Stefan. I _never _thought I'd make it this far. 'Damon turned me into a vampire and then fled town?' _That's_ what you believe instead of realizing I wasn't Elena?" she laughed. "Though it has been hard to hear you call me another name, I can't deny that the past 48 hours have been the best I've had in a while."

Stefan looked like he was going to vomit any second now. Elena watched the two of them, disgusted. She didn't even want to think about what Katherine persuaded him to do with her. She realized that she couldn't be anywhere near him right now. She couldn't stand the sight of him.

Without another word, she stormed out the room, gladly ignoring Stefan's pleads echoing down the hall. The only place she had left to turn was home, but Damon already had full access to the house. Since Jenna and Alaric had gotten so close lately, she was sure that he was probably spending the night anyway. She felt confident that together, they could fend off Damon, should he try to come inside.

Elena pressed her foot down on the gas and tore down the twisting road leading out of the woods. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could try to process everything that's happened. And the sooner she could feel even the slightest bit of safety.

As she rounded a sharp corner, something black appeared in the center of the road, lying sprawled across the yellow double line. Elena's eyes widened at the unexpected sight as she slammed on the brakes, skidding off to the side of the road, but hardly damaging the car.

Despite squinting to try and identify the object in the road, she couldn't tell what it was. She doubted it would be a human, but it could be a wounded animal or something of that sort. She slowly crawled out of the car and crept closer to the roadblock. She found herself getting far closer than she preferred, but still couldn't tell what the hell was in the road.

She bent down to get a closer look and noted that it _was_ a person and they were covered in horrible, bloody wounds. She looked up and down the road, but couldn't find a pair of headlights in sight. Did someone really hit this man and just keep driving? As she looked at him a little closer, she noticed one of the deep gashes on his arm starting to slowly heal and disappear. That could only mean one thing…

The scream didn't make its way out of her throat until she saw his blue eyes pop open.

"Nice of you to make sure I was okay, Elena. I didn't know you _cared_ so much about me," he snarled. Before she could even blink, he'd already sped into a standing position above her. He reached down and tangled his fingers in her hair. The length alone made for a great lever in pulling her up to his height.

He barred his fangs at her and watched the fear quickly reach her eyes. "You fucked me over for the last time."

Elena tried reasoning with him, hoping he'd take sympathy on her once the tears started leaking out of the corners of her eyes. But she was wrong. Dead wrong. He started laughing lowly, shaking his head. He slammed her against the hood of his car and bite viciously into her neck, cutting so deep that his fangs made it through to the other end of her flesh.

Elena's screams drifted into the air, though no one would be able to hear them. Elena had obviously been bitten before and thought that she had built up a tolerance. But this hurt far more than any other time before. Damon was intentionally making it painful. He wanted her to feel pain and nothing else.

Once he got close enough to death, though not actually reaching it, he ripped his teeth out of her skin and shoved her into the passenger seat of the car. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his face as he got into the driver's seat and returned to their home. This only seemed to reinforce the image of a monster in Elena's mind as she stared at him with rapidly blurring vision.

The drive was short. When they arrived, he didn't even bother letting her get out on her own. He dragged her into the house, roughly tugging on her arm and not slowing down when she stumbled.

Elena cringed as her body roughly met the floor and Damon slammed the door behind him. "I guess this has a touch of irony now, doesn't it?" he sneered. "You toyed with my feelings, and now you got to hear your boyfriend profess his love to someone else."

"How do you know –?" Elena started to ask, but then stopped herself once she realized that Damon really was right behind her at the boarding house; she hadn't imagined him. "I…I don't want to talk about it."

"We can't have our way all the time, Elena."

Elena felt blood starting to drip down her chest. She ran her fingertips over the wound and pulled back to find them covered in blood. If she kept bleeding like this, she'd surely die. And she was sure that she still had some of Damon's blood in her system.

She scurried to her feet and made sure there was a reasonable distance between them, though that didn't really matter, ultimately. "Damon, you need to heal me. If I die…"

His demented grin crept up to his eyes. "If you die," he said pleasantly, "you'll become a vampire."

Her eyes widened in horror. He wasn't going to help her. Her only other option was to get out of this house and into a hospital. But did she even stand a chance at escape? As her heartbeat struggled to maintain its accustomed frantic beat, she felt the blood start leaking even more.

_ I have to at least try_, she thought. _I'll never forgive myself if I die without trying to prevent it. He can't win…_

With all the energy she had left, she made a dash for the front door. Damon was momentarily caught off guard, giving her just enough time to rip the door open and run outside. But as fast as it all happened, she somehow found herself sprawled on the floor, just inches from freedom.

Confused, she tried to crawl through the door, but found that there was some sort of barrier blocking her. _Just like the spell placed on the tomb_.

Though her mind was racing with several questions, all of it vanished the moment she heard a low chuckle rumble in Damon's chest. She turned around slowly only to find that he had sped right behind her. But what terrified her the most was the look on his face. His smirk was mocking and cold.

She gasped when he touched her face. "You weren't trying to run away again, were you?" he asked sweetly.

* * *

Ooh, so now Elena and Damon are locked in the house together, and Damon is feeling more violent and hateful than ever. Wonder how that will turn out... And how will Stefan respond to finding out that all this time he's been with Katherine?

COMMENT!

**BIG THANK YOU TO: **jesslovesjohnny, kat, GenerationY, Emmy, AngelJadeO, BadBoysAreBest, Caro, rjjoupa, and nicole317. I loved all your comments :) and I hope you all enjoy this update


	8. The Punishment Fits The Crime

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 8: The Punishment Fits The Crime

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY:** _She gasped when he touched her face. "You weren't trying to run away again, were you?" he asked sweetly._

* * *

Elena was trapped between the barrier and Damon's chest, feeling incredibly claustrophobic. He was staring down at her with a misplaced glint in his eyes and a smile on his face. He was…happy? Elena found that she was more terrified of his smile than anything else. Because if Damon was happy about something, that probably meant just the opposite for Elena.

But she couldn't figure out _why_ he'd be happy. Hadn't he just been hurt by her act of betrayal? No one, not even a vampire, could recover that fast. Regardless, Elena backed up as far as the barrier would allow, trying to come up with some sort of excuse for her actions.

"I…I wasn't really running away," she stammered. "I need to get to a hospital, Damon."

Damon took just two steps forward to remove the distance between them. His eyes landed on Elena's chest, watching with amusement as she gasped to draw in just simple breaths. He placed his hands on her shoulders, allowing one of them to slide slowly toward the collar of her shirt.

"You don't need a hospital, Elena. I'm all you need anymore, and probably all you'll ever have now that we're apparently stuck in this house."

"Then heal me!" she pleaded.

He shook his head and laughed. "See, just because I _can_ help you, doesn't mean I will. You lost that luxury when you stabbed me in the back."

Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes. She would admit that what she did was wrong, and a small part of her even felt incredible remorse for her actions, but this was her life on the line – not some kind of heartbreak. And then a frightening thought dawned on her.

"I'll die either way," she whispered.

"What?" Damon asked flatly.

"If you don't heal me, I'll become a vampire. Since we're stuck in this house, I won't be able to get any…human blood – so, I'll die. And if you do heal me, I'm sure I'll come close to dying again anyway," she explained, eying him accusingly.

Damon turned away from her, walking closer to the fireplace and letting out a chillingly bitter laugh. "You think that you've seen the worst of me, Elena?" he asked, spinning around and glaring at her, which was naturally intensified by his icy eyes. "You haven't seen shit yet."

Elena hadn't expected him to snap like that, though she couldn't really be blamed…Damon's emotions were going rampant and she was standing right in the eye of the storm. "I'm not asking you to put on a show or anything," she said boldly. "I just want to be healed, then go to bed and pretend none of this ever happened!"

"I hate to break it to you, but just because you say you want something doesn't mean you get it. I told you when we first left town that I'm going to get what I want. And I don't care what I have to do to get that anymore. I'm sick of how you make me feel, and now I think it's time you get a taste of your own medicine."

Elena, much to her surprise, was getting just as frustrated and heated up as Damon was. And with both of them firing back hurtful words at each other, it was evident that this wasn't going to end well. But Elena didn't care. Why should she succumb to Damon's desires when she had her own to worry about?

"Sorry, but I don't think you'll be able to make me become obsessed with you and mistake that obsession for love."

In that very instant, Damon _felt _himself lose control. He could barely see Elena standing there, wearing that smug, self-righteous look. All he saw was his eternity's worth of shortcomings, failures, and disappointments. He lashed out, slapping her hard across the face. With his added supernatural strength, he managed to send her flying to the side. She landed hard on the ground, feeling the impact mostly in her knees and elbows. Damon was about to approach her, but froze when he heard tires in the near distance.

As the car drove up the winding driveway, he instantly recognized it as the same car that Bonnie and Jeremy drove earlier. He growled lowly as he sped over to the door, slamming it shut and locking it. Elena saw the headlights shine briefly through one of the windows and realized why Damon decided to close the door. Someone was here – which meant they might be able to help her.

Bonnie got out of the car cautiously, noticing how dark and silent the house was. Granted it was the middle of the night and she almost felt crazy for coming here at this hour, but something just didn't feel right. And she'd be a fool to ignore her witch tuition.

Her fist lingered just above the door before she finally knocked a couple of times. As she expected, there was no response. "Elena, are you in there?" she called.

Elena's eyes lit up when she registered Bonnie's voice. "BONN-!"

In the short time it took to yell Bonnie's name, Damon managed to get on top of Elena and slam his hand onto her mouth, tightly clamping to her jaw. He held a finger up to his lips and mocked her, whispering, "Shh, it'll be okay."

Despite his silencing her, Elena still screamed into his hand, praying that Bonnie could at least hear that she was in the house.

Bonnie sighed, knocking one last time before slowly retreating to her car. She'd already tried calling Elena's phone, but of course it was turned off. Her only other option was to wait a few more hours and check back in the morning. Then there couldn't be any excuses for no one answering.

* * *

After realizing that Elena wouldn't be coming back. Stefan walked, defeated, back to his room, not surprised to find Katherine waiting for him on his bed, wearing hardly any clothes.

"Well that went well," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Get out," Stefan said weakly.

"But the fun was just beginning," she pouted.

"I said GET OUT," he roared.

Katherine wasn't deterred by Stefan's tone, not in the slightest. "If anything, this proves that you do still love me. You may have been 'seeing' Elena, but deep down you were thinking about me."

Stefan slid down the wall, eyeing the bed with resentment. As much as he just wanted to lie down and pretend this never happened, he refused to get any closer to Katherine. He held his face in his hands, questioning over and over again how he could've been so stupid and ignorant.

Did that mean that he did still feel something for Katherine? Now that he critically reviewed the past two days, countless differences popped out that should've been red flags. Yet he managed to ignore them flawlessly in exchange for a couple of intimate experiences. But, what about Elena?

"Your silence says it all, Stefan."

"I thought I told you to leave."

"You really think I'm so bad for what I did? Just imagine what Damon's doing to Elena since they left. Couldn't you see it on her face? The torment. The anxiety. The _fear_."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I was only trying to be loved. Damon may be trying to get the same thing, but he doesn't know how. And Elena, being as noble as she is, will certainly be putting up a fight. I think we both know how Damon gets when things don't go his way…"

Katherine knew that she wouldn't be able to get on Stefan's good side just yet, but oddly enough that wasn't bothering her. In fact, she found that she enjoyed watching the pain and sadness flicker across Stefan's features.

"It's getting late," she sneered, stepping over his body and making her way toward the door. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind, so I'm going to leave and let you digest all that. I'll be seeing you around."

Stefan just stared blankly at the dark wood floor, brows furrowed as his mind illustrated several horrific scenes between his brother and his girlfriend.

* * *

Damon remained straddled on top of Elena, waiting till Bonnie's car sounded far enough away. Elena held her breath for every second, fearing what Damon would do to her once they got their _privacy_ back.

"That was a close call," Damon laughed. "If she knew we were in here, I probably would've had to kill her."

"Leave Bonnie out of this," she spat.

"You know, I don't really care for your tone, Elena. Something tells me we're going to be stuck in here for a long time, and I don't take disrespect."

"It's a little hard when there's nothing left to respect."

After being told something so cruel, Elena expected Damon to crumble. But he didn't. He stood up and started laughing, as if he'd just heard _the_ funniest joke. Elena used the newfound space to sit up and scoot a couple of feet away from him, headed toward the couch. "Oh, Elena," he sighed.

His tone was purposely misleading and successfully lulled Elena into a more relaxed mindset. That was why the scream was that much louder when he sped over to her – without warning – and knocked her back onto the couch. He returned to a straddling position again, this time with his hand around her throat as he pushed her back further into the unmoving couch.

"You think that Stefan is so much better? That just shows how naïve and stupid you can be. First of all, you may have heard the stories, but those don't compare to being there and experiencing things like Stefan's transition. He spent the following _decades_ ripping people apart. He might try to act human, but there is a caged beast inside of him, scratching closer and closer to the surface.

And there's his Katherine issue. I'm sure you can figure this one out for yourself, but if anything I've proved that Stefan doesn't really love _you_. He loves that you look like _her_. You're nothing more than a replacement – an unflawed Katherine."

Elena shook her head vehemently trying her best to ignore his toxic words. But how could she, when she knew damn well that there might be some validity to that second half of Damon's speech?

"Just…stop talking," she said weakly, avoiding his burning gaze.

Damon watched her face, noted the signs of confusion…hurt…sadness…denial. "What you felt just now is only a fraction of what you've made me feel."

"Everything that you've been feeling since you met me is all your own fault."

"Oh, this should be good."

Elena accepted his invitation to continue. "I do care about you, Damon. But every time we start to get close you go and do something stupid. There's only so much of that I can take. And what you did here in these past couple days…I never would've expected you to –."

"Just shows how little you really know me." He glanced down at her neck and followed the dried stream of blood with his eyes until it disappeared beneath her shirt. "You lost a lot of blood," he smirked. Elena glanced down, trying to see the blood herself. He watched the panic flush across her face. He heard her heartbeat double instantly.

She pushed the palms of her hands up against his chest and looked up at him with pleading eyes. Every time he lashed out with some sort of physical or emotional torment, her mind seemed to drift further and further away from focusing on the blood loss. And now her body was spiraling into a massive state of turbulence.

"Damon, you have to give me some blood. I-I'll do whatever you want for the rest of the night. I'll –."

His mocking laughter destroyed the last bit of pride she was holding onto and made her feel incredibly embarrassed for some reason. "You really think that the last three hours of this night is enough? Elena, the only terms I accept involve eternity."

Elena should've expected as much from him. She considered her position. Agreeing to his terms wouldn't be a problem. She'd already double-crossed him once…but would she be able to pull it off a second time?

To be blunt, it was either become a vampire for a few minutes and die or be saved and become God knows what for Damon. Weren't promises made to be broken?

"But I won't live forever…"

His oddly confident smirk made her feel rather uncomfortable and confused. "Whatever you say, Elena. Do we have an agreement, then?"

She could feel the self-hatred and caution building inside of her, but what choice did she have? "Yes," she breathed.

"Promise?" he asked childishly.

"Yes, Damon, I promise. Now, please, just heal me."

She expected him to bite into his wrist like he always does, but instead she felt his fingers trailing along her neck – right about where his bite should've been. "Well isn't that weird. There aren't any bite marks there anymore."

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, reaching to the same spot in disbelief.

The look on Damon's face made her stomach drop. "Since you had vampire blood in your system and you didn't actually _die_, it heals you. This time took a bit longer than usual, probably because most of it's been removed."

"You knew all along that I wasn't going to become a vampire… Then that means our deal is off."

"Not so fast. You asked me to heal you, and look at that! I did."

Elena shook her head, tears lining her eyes.

_He…he tricked me_.

"And there's the lovely feeling of back-stabbing," he sneered.

* * *

Katherine no longer had any sort of permanent residence in Mystic Falls, so she compelled the owner of a small bed and breakfast downtown to give her a night's stay, free of charge. She waited until she got settled into the room before pulling out her phone and dialing a foreign number with growing apprehension.

"Hello, Katerina," the man on the other line said smoothly.

The voice sent chills down Katherine's spine. She hadn't heard it in such a long time…and all she could think about was that horrible time in her life. When she was still human. When Klaus was trying to kill her. But that was irrelevant now, wasn't it? Once she handed Elena over, she'd be forgiven for her misdeeds.

"Elijah," she replied curtly.

"Do tell me that you still have the doppelganger contained?"

"Of course, just like I promised. I had a witch locate her and seal her inside of a house in the woods of Mystic Falls, Virginia."

"That's good to hear. I'm sure Klaus will be very pleased when he finds out. You can expect to see me very soon, Katerina. Make sure nothing happens to our doppelganger."

"Not a problem," she said confidently, though she felt an odd sensation in her stomach. It made her feel far too human for her liking.

* * *

Jeremy had gotten a less than relieving text from Bonnie once she got back home. He may not have been a witch, but he never trusted Damon and also felt that something wasn't quite right. Elena might not wake up from someone knocking at the door, but he knew that Damon undoubtedly heard it.

He leaned up against the headboard on his bed and stared thoughtfully into the darkness. He hated feeling so useless. This was his sister's life on the line, and he should be out there trying to save her, not sitting around in bed just waiting to hear good news. And with that, he sneaked downstairs, grabbed Jenna's keys off the kitchen table, and sped over to the house. He decided to park on the side of the main road, just before the driveway. At the very least he wanted to be able to survey the situation, which meant he needed to be stealthy.

Jeremy crept up the winding driveway and approached the house. Based on what Bonnie told him, he knew the front door was locked and there were curtains closed in the front windows. _Guess I'm going to the back side then_, he thought. And so he walked around the house, thankful to find that there wasn't some sort of ten-foot-drop off in the back yard.

Since the house was only one story, it was more than easy enough for Jeremy to peak through windows. There was only one window that was emitting any sort of light, so Jeremy walked up to that one and peered inside.

From what he could see, it looked like Damon was on top of Elena in what could either be interpreted as a violent or sexual position – neither of which Jeremy was particularly comfortable with.

_Have they been awake this entire time? If that's the case then I know that _both_ of them heard Bonnie knocking…_

He squinted his eyes to give his vision a little boost and swore that he saw dried blood on Elena, though it could've just been the dim lighting.

Jeremy was about to reposition himself at a different angle but froze when Damon's cold stare flashed upward and landed directly on him. Jeremy nearly lost his balance as he stumbled through the yard, sprinting down the dangerous decline to get to the safety of his car.

One thing was sure. That look on Damon's face…that murderous look…told Jeremy all he needed to know. Elena was _not_ safe with him.

* * *

Elena's mind was spinning as she tried to process what just happened…how she completely fell for Damon's word play. Hadn't she known that if she wasn't dead yet, she wouldn't be? How could she forget that you have to _die_ not be _dying_ to turn into a vampire? To be fair, she really hasn't been able to think straight since all of this madness started.

She'd been so distracted by trying to anticipate Damon's violence, Bonnie's visit, and the words being shot at each other that she hadn't even realized that she was slowly starting to physically feel better.

"Well, I don't know about you but I feel _much_ better. And I'm thinking we celebrate with a little…fun." He backed up a little so that he wasn't in such a threatening position and went down to the bottom of Elena's shirt, slowly lifting upward.

Out of instinct and outrage, Elena pushed his hands away. Damon laughed half-heartedly. "Elena, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not exactly in the best…mood right now."

"In case you forgot, that doesn't matter. If you don't let me take your shirt off, I'll just…" In a flash he ripped the shirt in half perfectly up the center. She was about to spring forward and slap him, but froze once she noticed that his attention was disturbingly focused elsewhere.

He remained still, just staring at something behind her, with a growing amount of anger rising in his eyes. "Well isn't that interesting," he snarled, pushing himself off Elena. With room to move again, Elena rotated her body and looked behind her only to find a window.

"What did you see?"

"Breakfast."

"Damon…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant your brother," he said, storming toward the door.

"Let it go! It's not like you can do anything about it anyway."

Damon ignored her and ripped the door open, resting an arm up against the doorframe. He just intended to stare into the blackened woods, but was quickly distracted by something else – his arm was resting on a portion of the frame that should be outside of the barrier.

"Guess what, Elena?" he said in a singsong voice. He glanced at her over his shoulder with a smug smirk. "Apparently, the barrier doesn't keep _me _inside."

* * *

So now Damon's going to take his rage out on Jeremy? Wonder how that'll turn out... Will Stefan be able to redeem himself? What will happen when Elijah gets to town? Find out in the next chapter :)

Just got a Tumblr account and I'm gonna use it to blog mostly about each week's episodes of vampire diaries (in addition to just random blogging topics lol) so if that interests you here is the link! .com/

**THANK YOU: **WWE'sPyroDevil36, LadyofLaughingEyes, tvdtwilight101, GenerationY, Delena-Fan-for-life, jesslovesjohnny, AngelJadeO, Emmy, Caro, citigirl13, and ayna93. As always your comments make my day!


	9. Rip Me Open

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 9: Rip Me Open

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY:**_"Guess what, Elena?" he said in a singsong voice. He glanced at her over his shoulder with a smug smirk. "Apparently, the barrier doesn't keep_ me_ inside."_

* * *

Damon knew he didn't have to rely on any additional supernatural speed boosters to catch Jeremy. He could already smell blood, suggesting that Jeremy must've fallen a couple times. With some luck, perhaps he'd broken a bone or two.

He strolled out the front door and stopped to stretch once he reached his car. "Do you need anything while I'm out? Groceries? Maybe some chocolate?"

Elena ignored his taunting tone and leaped off the couch, going as far forward as the barrier would permit. She tried pushing a hand through it, but ended up only colliding with it. "Damon, don't leave," she pleaded. "That would be stupid."

"And why's that?" he asked distantly, leaning into the car and igniting the engine.

"Obviously someone is planning to do something to me if they went through all the trouble of casting a spell that keeps just me inside of this house. What if it's Klaus?"

"It was probably just Bonnie making sure I can't kidnap you again."

"No," she said strongly. There was no way Bonnie would do this to her without informing her in some way, or mentioning something along those lines to Damon when she spoke to him earlier. "I really don't think it was her."

"Even if it's not, something tells me whoever did it won't attack at 5:45 AM."

"You're making a mistake!" she said, voice raw with fear.

"I don't think that adding one more to my endless list of mistakes will really make much of a noticeable difference." He reached further into the car, his hands feeling around in the back seat. _What could he be looking for? _Elena wondered.

"It will make a difference – once I'm dead."

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be such a drama queen?"

Elena ignored his comment in favor of realizing just how legitimate her argument could be. She was almost certain that this wasn't Bonnie's doing, which meant that it has to be Klaus-related. Who else would want to keep her locked in a house like this? Of course, Damon's motives seemed to fit the bill, but she dismissed the possibility. Damon wanted _control_ and asking a witch to help didn't exactly give him much dominance.

For once, Elena wished that she wasn't right. Before she had just been concerned for Jeremy's sake, but now, her life was also on the line. And Damon was being too stubborn to realize it. What else could she say that would resonate with him? Her mind snapped out of deliberation once she heard a familiar sound.

Her eyes wildly focused on Damon and what was in his hands. He was holding one of Alaric's specialized shotguns, made just for killing vampires by firing wooden bullets.

"What are you doing with that gun?" She could feel the fear rising up through her throat.

"Just going to do a little hunting, Elena. Aren't you getting hungry?"

"Jeremy isn't a vampire, dumbass. So I don't see why you need –."

"I didn't realize I was required to explain every detail of my plan to you, but if you insist, I'll tell you exactly how I'm going to kill your brother." He finished loading the last bullet in the chamber and turned his car off, stalking back toward the house. "I'm going to use these bullets to slow him down and just before he dies, I'll rip his magical, death-defying ring off and kill him for good."

She gasped, horrified by how fast he accounted for any obstacles. She was subconsciously shaking her head and allowing tears to drip slowly off her eyelashes, no longer feeling ashamed to do so in front of him.

Memories of when Damon had tried to force himself onto her…memories of when Damon snapped Jeremy's neck so _easily_, without any hesitation, revisited Elena's mind. It only added to her desperation in seeking a way to prevent it from happening again. And somehow this time seemed so much worse than the last – perhaps because Elena had seen what she assumed was the darkest side of Damon, the side that he usually worked so hard to keep away from her eyes.

_There has to be some way to stop him_, she thought firmly, shaking away the memories and focusing instead on the loaded gun in his hands. But to her discontent, there were only two things she could think of that Damon would be distracted by…

Elena was surprised that she wasn't just numb at this point, especially after all that she'd been through in such a short period of time. But she still felt so much, ironically making for a challenging situation. She knew that as much as she dreaded what would happen in the next hour or so, it needed to be done, if only to spare Jeremy's life.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to grab the nearest sharp object upon noticing that Damon's back was now facing her and getting further and further away. Elena took the knife and made a shallow, useless cut in the center of her palm. Cursing under her breath, she dug deeper and watched as blood began to pool out of the incision. That was the easy part.

* * *

Jeremy's heart thudded against his chest as he struggled through the woods and reached his car, leaping inside and locking it shut. His eyes scanned the trees, expecting Damon to pop out at any given second, but he was soon surprised to find that there was just still silence.

_I know he saw me_, Jeremy reasoned. _We had eye contact, and even if we didn't I know his vision is much sharper than a human's. Not to mention that enraged expression he had. We need to get Elena away from him. _

With that in mind, he sped down the back roads and headed over to Bonnie's house. To avoid angering Bonnie's father at this hour, he called her phone instead of banging recklessly on the front door.

"Mmmm, Jer, you know what time it is…right?" Bonnie mumbled sleepily.

"I know, and I'm really sorry. I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't an emergency."

For some reason the word "emergency" was always enough to wake people up, or bring them to their senses. "What? What's wrong?"

"I…I just was over at the house where Damon was keeping Elena and…well…I think she's in danger. She isn't safe with him, Bonnie. The look he gave me when he found me…"

"Jeremy!" Bonnie scolded. "Why would you put yourself in so much danger like that?"

"I couldn't sleep and I was getting bad vibes earlier. I'm not some little kid, Bonnie, you have to remember that."

Jeremy was slightly jarred by the sudden dial tone, but was relieved when Bonnie opened the front door and let him inside, seconds later.

"What makes you think Damon's dangerous for Elena to be around? Don't get me wrong, I don't like him, but you know how fiercely he protects her."

"He might protect her when the time comes, but from what I saw, it just looked like he was taking advantage of her in the meantime. I swear I saw blood."

Bonnie bit her lower lip, unsure of what to do. She had already planned on visiting later in the morning, when she was sure that she would get a response. Maybe that could be some kind of test. "Why don't we go there together in the morning and see how they act around us. We've both known Elena her whole life, don't you think we'll be able to tell if something's wrong?"

Jeremy nodded, acceptant toward the idea. "I'm sure there would be a way for her to tell us something cryptically without Damon knowing."

"But, just in case, it wouldn't hurt to have backup," she said, dialing a number on her phone.

The phone rang several times before being answered. "Just because I don't _need_ to sleep doesn't mean I don't want to. I still like to pretend I'm human sometimes," Caroline muttered.

"Elena might be in trouble. We're going to investigate later today and we need your help."

* * *

Elena was slightly mesmerized by the crimson substance crawling across her skin. She stared at it, still not believing what she was about to do, for just a moment longer before acting. She unbuttoned her tattered jeans and let them drop to the floor. She ran her hand across her chest and down her torso, smearing the blood. Even still, when she pulled her hand back, a fresh, wet layer was still leaking from the wound.

"Damon, wait! I-I have something for you."

She instantly felt foolish once she heard his mocking laughter. He was still walking away. "Elena, there's nothing you can do to stop me from–."

The scent of blood had suddenly gotten much stronger behind Damon than from the woods in front of him where Jeremy ran. That could only mean…

He spun around and nearly dropped the gun when he took in the sight before him. Who would have ever expected Elena Gilbert to pull a stunt like this? Damon knew it couldn't be real…there _had_ to be a catch. But it wouldn't hurt to investigate. It's not like Jeremy really had any place to hide from him.

Elena wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified as she watched him approach the house, discarding the gun in his car.

"What exactly do you have for me?" Damon breathed, pausing once he reached the door, just inches from Elena's nearly naked, bloody body.

She felt her cheeks burn red as he shamelessly ran his hungry eyes across her body. How could she possibly endure this, if she couldn't even handle the way he was looking at her? She swallowed roughly and held her bleeding hand out to him. "I…I'm offering the two things I know you can't r-refuse," she stammered. "Blood and sex."

Damon stepped fully inside and shut the door behind him, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. He shot her a smirk, which sent doubt running rampant in her mind. "You know that combining those two for a vampire can be a dangerous proposition. I might not be able to control myself."

_As if it's any worse than what you've already done to me_, Elena thought, scoffing. But she knew the truth. They both did. "You won't let me die."

He circled around her, still wearing that same smirk, though he knew that she was right. Killing her would do absolutely nothing to help him. But he didn't like the amount of confidence he heard in her voice. He reached out in a flash, wrapping his fingers around her neck while speeding over to the nearest wall, pinning her tightly in place.

Elena shrunk back further into the unmoving wall once she saw his fangs, fully exposed. He eyed her bleeding hand and licked his lips. "This should be fun."

She considered trying to plead her way out of this. Jeremy had to be far enough and _safe_ enough away now. Damon would never catch up to him, which meant she really had no reason to distract him anymore. Her fingers folded over her palm, sticking to the crusted layer of blood. He reached down and grabbed her wrist, looking at it with curiosity.

"Elena, what are you doing?" he asked sweetly, though Elena knew better.

She tried tugging her wrist from his grip, but it wouldn't budge. She looked back up at him and saw a sadistic glint in his eyes. Her instincts cautioned to be careful, but in this situation, she couldn't be expected to think straight. She pulled as hard as she could, but all that did was make her skin slide along his fingers, creating a dark violet bruise.

He leaned forward, letting his mouth linger just above one of the pulsing veins in her neck. "It's a little late to be getting cold feet."

"I already accomplished what I wanted," she whispered.

But Damon heard every word. He backed away from her slightly, looking slightly forlorn for a moment before his icy stare returned. "So you took advantage of me again."

"Offering my body to you hardly seems like taking advantage of you."

"Careful, Elena. I might have to go find your brother and kill him right here in front of you."

Elena tried to reason with herself mentally. If he really wanted Jeremy dead, he wouldn't have fallen for her bait. Then again, when had Damon ever really exhibit much control in the midst of temptation?

Since she didn't respond, he took that as an invitation to continue with what he was supposed to be doing. His fingers started to pry hers apart, revealing the dark brown, crusted layer of blood. Then she snapped to attention, resisting. Damon was getting fed up with her delays. He abandoned his mission and instead focused on wrapping a hand around her neck.

"You've already prevented me from eating once, I won't let you do it again. It's your choice, Elena. Either follow through with _your_ offer, or I'm going after Jeremy."

* * *

Elijah was laying low in Mystic Falls after making the deal with Elena, which ensured the safety of her loved ones for her cooperation, in turn. Needless to say, he was far from pleased when he got a tip that Elena had left the town. He was prepared to go after her and Damon with the full wrath of an Original. But they returned shortly after.

He couldn't say that he was a fan of Katherine being freed from the tomb, but for once she ended up doing something useful. Supposedly, she had a witch seal Elena inside some house in the woods.

Tonight he would be meeting up with her before going to give Elena and Damon a special greeting. He was willing to bet that Katherine believed doing a simple favor would excuse her from centuries of disobediences. Elijah was about to prove how wrong she was.

* * *

Elena purposely avoided making eye contact with Damon, silently wishing that doing so would improve the situation. "The choice is pretty obvious," she murmured.

Her head was spinning as she grappled with all these varying emotions. She was prepared to endure it just minutes ago, but once Damon actually advanced on her, it felt as though all that previous confidence and commitment had shattered.

"That's what I thought," he sneered, reaching for her hand again. Elena braced herself for the inevitable as his fangs inched closer to her skin. What made matters worse was that she knew he'd have to create another incision to make her start bleeding again.

She cringed, as his teeth slid slowly into her skin, almost like a needle. Blood sprung the surface instantly and landed on Damon's tongue as he robbed her veins. He continued gnawing into her, almost losing grip of the reality around him, though he was still somewhat sane enough to recognize that she had lost a bit of blood already.

He lifted off her just far enough to bite into his own wrist. Only after returning to his meal did he lazily extend his wrist toward Elena's mouth. She reached for him and pulled closer, knowing that she needed to be healed. However, because Damon waited a few seconds more than he should have, the blood on his wrist was nearly evaporated by the time Elena got to it.

_A little taste had to be better than nothing, right?_ Elena reasoned.

"I need…more," Damon breathed, hovering over the massacred hand. Blood was spilling down his jaw in thick globs, some of which landed back on Elena.

More? Although Elena didn't agree to a particular amount of blood, she had to draw the line somewhere. She said Damon could have _some _blood and sex, not as much as he desired. "That's enough, Damon," she said as steadily as possible. She ripped her arm away from him and cradled it up against her chest.

He shot her an inquisitive look, as if silently asking what else could she possibly do to stop him. She knew that she was at a rather dangerous disadvantage, but with the way he was right now, he could be capable of anything – even unintentionally killing her.

When he remained silence, she felt the need to explain herself. "You're not in control, right now. It's not worth the risk."

Damon cracked a smile and ran his fingers across her cheek. "Elena," he breathed calmly. "I am so fed up with people telling me what I can and can't do." He smiled just a little longer before biting into her neck, roughly. And even though Damon was pressed so tightly up against her, she started sliding slowly down the wall as he literally sucked the life right out of her.

"Please," she whimpered. "You're going to…kill me…"

"You won't die as long as I'm around," he breathed, lingering just above the bloody mess he was making. Though he would admit, her inability to support herself was taking away from his experience. With a bit of an aggravated groan, he sped both of them over to an open spot on the floor near the fireplace with every intention to resume his meal.

But she resisted. Elena's eyelids felt heavier than ever as she struggled to keep her eyes locked on Damon, trying her best to plead with him as she held her hands out in defense. "I'm too dizzy…you have to take a break or something… The blood isn't working."

Damon disregarded her statement, finding it to be bordering the impossible. Vampire blood heals humans, end of story. Then again, perhaps he was taking this just a little too far. He needed to gain control of himself…but all the _blood_…it's just too tempting…

"You got yourself into this mess and now you need to deal with the consequences. You offered yourself to me, and what kind of person would I be to deny that? Maybe next time you should think before you blurt out some desperate suggestion so that you can save someone else."

Elena, with what little strength she had left, felt herself become entirely enraged. Just because he can't control himself like this did not mean that he got to keep going at it. "You already got more than you deserve," she spat.

Damon's eyes lit up with passion. "That's more like it. Go ahead. Hate me, Elena. It makes for a much…hotter affair."

It sounded like Damon, but Elena couldn't accept that as she looked up at the monster hovering over her. His blue eyes were hardly distinguishable with the surrounding black and crimson hues covering the whites of his eyes. Blood was smeared across his face, lining his jaw. This wasn't Damon.

The fact that she had distracted him long enough with a brief banter seemed satisfactory enough to Elena as she settled for a mere scoff in response, rolling her eyes to the side. But her relaxed state of mind expired soon after.

Instead of going back in for more blood, Damon was mesmerized by the sight below him, as if this was the first time he'd ever seen anything like it. Blood had been strewn across the floor around them and had all but completely doused Elena's skin. He could only imagine what the sight would look like if she were completely naked. And with that, he just couldn't resist.

He reached down with a smirk and ripped Elena's bra right in the middle, exposing her breasts. He ran a bloody hand along her abdomen before finally reaching her chest, smearing the substance across it, as her nipples hardened at his touch. Elena felt incredibly flustered by his simplest movements, watching as he moved down to her pants, discarding them in a flash.

"There's only one thing left for me to do," he murmured, eyeing her body with pure, carnal hunger. He backed up a little, crouching as he disrobed himself. He didn't have to look back up to know that Elena was staring at him, at what could be all hers if she would only get off her high horse.

"It's not like you won't enjoy it," he taunted. "If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one begging for more last time."

Elena refused to let him think that she, as a person, enjoyed that. Her body betrayed her, and would no doubt do it again. "It was a moment of weakness. Trust me, you'll never get a real reaction out of me," she fired back.

"Let's find out," he whispered in a sultry voice, completely unaffected by her seriousness.

Given the fact that she believed Damon saw this now as more of a challenge than some sort of sick pleasure, Elena was expecting him to drag it out as long possible, using any all teases to get to her. That's why the scream came out that much louder when she felt him suddenly slam inside her, full speed ahead. Her throat burned as the horrified verbal response flew from her lips. It felt as through her entire lower half had been ripped apart.

"Surprise," he snickered.

She groaned as he extended further into her, relentlessly exploring until he ran into her deepest limits. Once he hit that point, Elena released a small, excited gasp. Damon let his eyes linger on the sight below him a moment longer before he finally moved into action. He reached up and tightly gripped her breasts. He pulled slightly out of her before slamming back in again, this time thrusting at inhuman speeds.

Elena's head was spinning as she reached out for something to grip, but found nothing close enough…other than Damon. She couldn't quite reach his back, so she latched her nails into his hips, causing him to slow back down to a more conceivable pace. Her head rolled around on the ground as she tried to suppress moans, but found that to be the definition of absolutely impossible. Her back arched as a howl of pleasure echoed off the tiny room's walls. Damon couldn't have looked smugger if he tried.

Though Damon was doing most of the work, he wasn't breaking a sweat. Elena, on the other hand, was whirling, both from the experience and the effects of such blood loss. She almost felt as if she was slipping into a drunken state of mind. The fear and panic seemed to drift away as she looked up into his eyes, which had returned to normal. Each thrust made her nerves tingle and her breaths become shorter. Everything else around her, except for them, seemed to blur.

The sun started shinning through the dusty window nearby, casting rays of light across Damon's body. Before she could even think to stop herself, Elena was already taken in by the defined shadows on his body…the firm muscles…his structured face…

_He's ridiculously hot_. Elena remembered when Jenna had told her that the night they had Damon over for dinner. It was so easy to deny it and instead insult him. But, now? Now she could barely think of anything to say in its place because it's true. Damon is an attractive individual. And it took Elena this long to finally be able to admit it to herself.

Caught up in the moment and her foggy thoughts, Elena gathered the shattered remains of her strength and propped herself upward, their lips just about to touch. But before they could experience that moment, both of them came crashing back to reality when a loud knock sounded at the door. Elena sobered up instantly, feelings of threat and terror instantly settling back into her.

Damon pulled out of her and slipped his pants back on, hardly giving her a second glance. He peeked out the window, only to find that Bonnie and Jeremy had returned. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he spun around and dragged Elena to her feet by her wrists and led her to the bathroom. He sped into the bedroom and grabbed a change of clothes that looked acceptable and threw them at her.

"Don't you dare leave this room until all that blood is gone," he commanded, slamming the door behind him. He stopped in the kitchen to remove the blood of himself and walked over to the door, answering it with as much of a contrived smile as he could maintain.

"A little early to be visiting don't you think?" he asked.

"Not really. I mean you guys were up two hours ago, why even bother going to bed?" Jeremy challenged.

Bonnie caught the dangerous look in Damon's eyes and stepped in front of Jeremy. "Look, you said I could see Elena today, and that's all I'm here for, to see Elena."

Damon mentally smirked to himself as he noticed the difference in tones between the couple. Clearly, Bonnie wasn't buying whatever report Jeremy made on his snooping, otherwise she'd surely be doing one of those mind explosions she was so fond of.

"Of course," he smiled. "I'll go get her."

He left them standing awkwardly in the front room as he went to check on Elena, who had scrambled to do as he told her. Not a stitch of blood could be seen, which impressed him given the amount that had covered her. "Bonnie and Jeremy are here."

Elena's face lit up the moment she heard who their visitors were. It took all she had to not run to the front door. "Hey," she grinned, welcoming Bonnie's embrace.

"It's good to see you…it feels like it's been weeks," Bonnie laughed, silently pleased to find that Elena didn't look any less healthy than ever before.

"I know what you mean. But, I'm so glad you're here. I…I need your help."

Bonnie frowned. "With what?" She immediately shot Damon a dirty look over Elena's shoulder.

Elena caught on. "No, not with him. With this door…some witch cast a spell that keeps me trapped in here. It's like the spell on the tomb, I think."

"Oh, that's not good. I don't know if I'll be able to take down the spell, since it was another witch's work, but let me run back home and I'll grab my Grimwoire."

"Thanks, Bon," Elena said, watching as her best friend and brother retreated to the car in search of answers.

A sense of relief flooded her body as she leaned against the doorframe a moment longer before closing the door. She spun around and ended up walking into a familiar chest.

"I was just –," she began to explain, but froze once she saw the expression on Damon's face.

* * *

Ooh what's Damon upset about? will he be able to convince everyone that Elena is safe? Elijah comes into the picture, causing trouble for everyone, including Katherine. Stefan, suffering from his guilt, decides to try and do all he can to help Elena, but will he end up making things worse? Find out in the next chapter ;)

**THANK YOU: **i luv hardy, pwrmom2, Caro, Delenafan2, Dlena, citigirl13, ayna93, and WWE'sPyroDevil36 for your comments! This chapter was heavily DELENA so hopefully you all enjoyed that. Keep the comments coming, I love reading them and I look forward to them!

The Boarding House will be updated this weekend also...in case any of you are looking forward to that update lol and if you're not, well go check the story out!


	10. You're Just No Good For Me

**__**Forever Got Too Long 

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 10: You're Just No Good For Me

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY:**_"I was just –," she began to explain, but froze once she saw the expression on Damon's face._

* * *

Bonnie and Jeremy sat in relative silence as they drove along the winding, wooded road. Each of them certainly had their own preferred excuses for the silence – Jeremy disliked the fact that Bonnie seemed to be taking Damon's side over his, and Bonnie was solely focused on mentally locating the section of the grimwoire involving this kind of spell.

Their train of thought was broken once they located Caroline, waiting near one of the turns in the road. She was standing with her arms crossed firmly over her chest and a grumpy scowl on her face. If it involved anyone other than Elena or Bonnie, they all knew she would've opted for sleep over being a hero.

Caroline slid into the backseat and was about to unleash a flurry of complaints, but Bonnie beat her to the punch. "Look, I know that you don't want to be awake right now, but it's a good thing you are. Some other witch cast a spell that keeps Elena locked in the house Damon's keeping her in."

Her scornful expression lessened upon hearing this new bit of information. Though shortly after, she returned to her pout, mumbling, "I still don't see why we had to do this so early."

* * *

Katherine licked the blood off her lips as she let the man's drained body drop to the ground. She hadn't been particularly hungry, but she was never really one to deny herself an appealing opportunity. To keep up appearances, she decided to step into the Grill for some coffee. It would give her a moment or two to plot her next move.

She knew Elijah would be making his move soon – delivering Elena to Klaus. And she needed to leave town before that occurred. If there was anything Katherine Pierce was not, it would have to be suicidal. She'd spent so many years preserving her life…she would be a fool to give up now.

The Grill was relatively lifeless, aside from the few morning-goers, seeking a cup of coffee before beginning their day. She spun a spoon around in her mug, watching the brown liquid swirl and twist at her command. She frowned as a shadow dulled the color in the cup, stealing a cautious upward glance.

If she had a heart, she was sure she'd feel it sinking right about then.

Elijah smirked, noticing her not-so-concealed fear. "Hello, Katerina," he breathed.

"Elijah," she greeted with a forced smile. "What are you doing _here_? I already told you where Elena was."

"Oh, I'm well aware of Elena's location. I've already handled my business with Miss Gilbert and decided to pay you a visit." He nodded at the unoccupied chair across from her. "May I?"

Katherine stared at the open spot with immense hesitance before eventually nodding. Her mind was racing with explanations for his being there, but was failing to produce anything reasonable. It just didn't make any sense.

"I don't understand why you appear so confused, Katerina," he said distantly, eyeing the growing crowd of people in the restaurant. "You should've known better."

Her eyes bulged for a brief moment as she registered what he was implying. Surely he wouldn't try anything in such a public place. Even if the Grill wasn't full, there were still several witnesses. _Though if Klaus's plans succeed, would it even matter how much these humans know anymore?_ She thought bitterly.

"You won't kill me," she declared, somewhat surprised by her conviction.

He chuckled mirthlessly, reaching forward for her coffee mug. He took a short sip before staring directly at her, almost menacingly. "I'll take that as an invitation."

* * *

Elena found it difficult to breathe, or do much of anything for that matter, as she stood under Damon's harsh stare. She couldn't understand what had put him in this mood. Bonnie could've done so much damage, yet instead she did what she thought would help everyone.

_Why would Damon want me to be trapped in this house_? She wondered.

Damon moved in closer, cornering her. He took notice of her fearful expression and relished it. He couldn't figure out which he wanted more – for Elena to love him…or to fear him. Right now it felt like the latter. The way her eyes grew so big…the sound of her heart beating so violently in her chest…her labored breathing. It was almost unbearable.

"W-why are you acting like this?" she managed to ask.

"Acting like what, Elena?" he asked playfully.

"You look like you're going to kill me," she admitted.

"Don't be overdramatic. You only pissed me off by giving your witchy friend another reason to come back here."

"Would you rather me be trapped in here?"

"Aren't you going to be either way?" He challenged, with a smug smirk.

"I should be allowed out of this house. I don't know how long you plan on _forcing _me to be with you, Damon, but I refuse to be treated like a prisoner."

Damon's head dropped, causing Elena to believe that perhaps she had gone too far. But the sound of a rumbling, mocking laugh told her otherwise. "You think that what you've experienced so far was me forcing you? Have you forgotten that I can compel you?"

Elena subconsciously reached for the spot on her chest where the Vervain necklace used to rest. She'd forgotten just how truly vulnerable she'd been all this time. Her mind spiraled into a state of paralyzing panic. She took her freedom for granted, and now Damon was surely going to take it from her. She bowed her head and kept her eyes locked on the floor, refusing to let him see the tears start to surface.

"Given this threatening situation with Klaus, I'd say that I'm the safest person for you to be with. Stefan completely betrayed you…your little friends are basically helpless…and you already know how much I love you." Elena felt that he was trying to justify his actions, but was surprised to note that his brief rant ended with a bit of a taunting, bitter tone.

She wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't go down with a fight. It was already bad enough that she'd given her body in exchange for something. No more. "If I actually had a choice in the matter," she said boldly, "I'd choose my 'helpless' friends over you anytime."

As if suddenly given the ability to see the world in slow motion, Elena watched a sliver of hurt shine in Damon's icy eyes. Had she been given a proper amount of time to react, she surely would've felt an immense amount of guilt. But that wasn't the case.

Damon coiled his fingers around her arms and dug into her flesh. Before she could really register much of anything, he sped both of them into the kitchen and slammed her up against the refrigerator. If the pain wasn't enough to make her body go numb, then his dilating pupils did the trick.

"When Bonnie comes back and breaks the spell, you're not going to want to leave. Do you hear me, Elena? You will not leave this house unless I say otherwise."

* * *

Stefan hadn't slept since seeing Elena's distraught face. How could he? Every time he closed his eyes, that was all he could see. It was tormenting him. Though he was willing to admit that staring at the boarding house's ancient, gaudy décor wasn't doing much to help him. His shoulders drooped as he forced himself to his feet and grabbed a jacket, hoping the morning air would clear his mind.

The walk through the woods and into town would've taken at least a couple of hours for a human, but took Stefan a little under ten minutes, using only moderate vampire speed. The crunching of dried leaves echoed far behind him as the scenery blurred into shades of gray and brown – the twig-like trees hardly noticeable.

Walking aimlessly along the main road, Stefan decided to just let his feet take him away. His mind was far too fried to give him directions at the moment. As he passed by the Grill, he heard Elijah's voice. It was hard to make out most of the conversation because it was being mixed in with others going on at the same time in the populated restaurant. "Miss Gilbert…decided to pay you a visit..."

Danger signs began metaphorically flashing in Stefan's mind. Didn't Elena realize that Elijah was the _bad_ guy in this scenario? Stefan felt a wave of nausea flush through his abdomen. Had his actions forced her to turn to Elijah? Well, if that was the case, he refused to sit back and watch her give up on her life.

Stefan stormed into the Grill and boldly approached the table. Elijah gracefully set the coffee mug back on its coaster and greeted Stefan with a noticeably annoyed expression. "Can I help you, Mr. Salvatore?"

He ignored Elijah completely and turned to face Elena, ready to bear his soul to her if only to save her life and prevent anything worse from happening. "Elena, I –," he began.

But before the potentially inspirational speech made it past his lips, he saw her nervousness morph into a smirk. "Wrong again, Stefan. That's strike two."

Elijah glanced back and forth between the two and deduced that this was the result of a previous sour engagement. He could care less, though. He had business to take care of. He reached for the salt and pepper shakers and tossed them haphazardly to the left, knocking into the wooden legs of a nearby table, splintering them.

He stood up slowly, shoving his way past Stefan, and collected the jagged wooden pieces. Stefan glanced around at the twenty or so people around them and was disturbed by their lack of attention. It didn't take him long to realize that Elijah had compelled everyone some how.

"What're you doing…?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing that concerns you right now," Elijah replied with a mocking smile and a pat on Stefan's shoulder as he made his way over to Katherine. "On the other hand, you and I have some business to attend to, Katerina."

Katherine tried to bit back her fear, but basic instinct was telling her to run, a feeling she'd grown accustomed to for the past 500 or so years. It was probably foolish to think she could catch Elijah off guard, but she still tried, leaping out of her seat and speeding toward the door. She cried out in surprise and pain as she felt him pull her back by her hair.

Elijah wasted no more time. He threw her up against a wall and stabbed her left shoulder then the right one shortly after, pinning her to the wall with a third makeshift stake in her stomach. She struggled to lift her head up and offer him a signature Katherine Pierce glare, which seemed to have no effect on him.

"I gave you what you wanted," she spat.

"Well, given your past misdeeds, can you really expect me to trust you?" he challenged in a bored tone. "You will remain here until I have Elena in my possession."

"You're not going to do anything to Elena," Stefan barked.

Elijah laughed. He spun around faster than Stefan expected and shoved a fist into Stefan's chest. "If you help try to help Katerina or get in my way with Elena you and everyone in this establishment are _dead_. Do you understand that?"

He accepted Stefan's gasps and wheezes as a complaint response, while removing his fist and wiping the blood on Stefan's shirt. "Don't look so depressed," he smirked. "You'll get to see Elena soon enough."

* * *

Elena stumbled away from him, a slightly dazed expression on her face. For some reason, after everything he'd done to her, she had enough faith in him to _not _resort to this. Once she regained her composure, she shoved her way past him and stormed into the bedroom. And just like that, she felt something she didn't expect to feel at that time – regret. She'd spent so much time during the past year searching for Damon's humanity. It all felt incredibly wasted now.

What made her even decide to bother with him? She should've been happy with Stefan, and willing to ignore his somewhat psychopathic older brother. But she couldn't. If only she'd known where giving a damn about him would've gotten her…

Through blurred vision, Elena reached for the small lamp on the nightstand next to the bed and violently chucked it across the room. It slammed into the wall and shattered into pieces on the floor. She hadn't intended for it to attain Damon's attention, but it would seem that it did anyway.

He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a somewhat amused yet disappointed expression. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," she spat.

Damon rolled his eyes and stepped further into the room. "Is there ever a time when you're not basing something on your emotions?"

"If it bothers you so much, then why don't you just _compel_ me to not have emotions?"

He sped over to her, causing her to fall back onto the bed. "Don't tempt me."

Elena gasped for air, taken by surprise. She tried to avoid looking into his eyes, but quickly found that there really weren't many other places to look. Dark veins began crawling out beneath his eyes, which always meant one thing.

"Or I could use my personal favorite…violence," he grinned, flashing his teeth. Elena sank further into the bed, desperately trying to create some distance. He grabbed her wrist with an unnecessary amount of bone-crushing force and brought it to his mouth. His teeth easily slid into the thin layer of flesh as blood started to surface.

Elena didn't cry or scream. Instead, she silently squirmed beneath him. She knew that any kind of expected reaction would only encourage the monster inside of him. "Bonnie will be back soon," she said dryly, as he continued chewing. "If she catches you doing this, she might just kill you."

"Not if I…kill her…first," he breathed, hovering above the wound with thick globs of blood falling back onto her arm. He laughed a little as he pulled away and used the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his chin.

Elena glared at him with quite a bit of fierceness. "If you did that I would kill you so fast that –."

Damon cut her off with a mocking laughter and a pat on her head. "No offence, Elena, but you couldn't kill a vampire if you tried."

For some reason, a small part of Elena thoroughly enjoyed these back-and-forth banters with Damon – probably because it didn't really cause either one of them any amount of damage. However, Elena heard a car approaching and decided to put all of her effort into beating Damon to the door.

Elena sent her knee up into Damon's crotch, which most likely surprised him, more than injured him. She leaped off the bed once enough space was presented and grabbed a piece of the shattered lamp, slamming it into Damon's neck. She scrambled through the hallway and wrapped her clammy fingers around the doorknob, oh so ready to rip it open, but shrieked when she was suddenly pulled away from it and slammed into the wall.

Damon locked his fingers around her neck, prohibiting her from breathing or screaming. "That was a big mistake, Elena," he sneered. He sped them back to the bedroom, keeping a hand on Elena's neck while using the other to undo his belt. He pulled her arms up above her head and used the belt to tie them to the headboard. Then he ripped into the sheets and used a part of it as a gag, forcing Elena's mouth open by squeezing her jaw to a painful degree.

"Now you just stay here and be quiet while I go deal with witchy and the annoying little brother, okay? I'll be back to check in on you shortly," he said with a wink. Elena tried to yell some sort of profanity at him, but it sounded more like a strangulated grouping of incoherency. He waved at her tauntingly before closing the door behind him.

* * *

After a bit of time spent searching through centuries of spells, Bonnie felt confident that she had located the proper one. It was always a little tricky to perform a spell like this because each witch's spell is supposed to be unique to him or her, making it very difficult for another witch to break it.

Bonnie suggested that Caroline and Jeremy wait in the car until the spell was finished, if only because she began to listen to some of the things Jeremy had complained about during the spell-searching process. He sounded so sure that something suspicious was going on here – something more than just Damon trying to protect Elena.

And given Damon's track record, it wasn't entirely hard to believe. The plan was simple, really. She believe that Damon would be a little more relaxed if he didn't know Jeremy was there. And he had no idea Caroline would even be involved, so she'd stay in the car as well and listen to hear if anything happens that Bonnie or Jeremy would've missed.

She approached the door and knocked firmly, surprised by how fast Damon answered the door. "Nice of you to finally show," he teased, good-naturedly.

"I'd like to see you sift through thousands of old spells."

"Are you sure you found the right one?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out," she said, encircling herself with unlit candles. "Hey, where's Elena? Don't you think she'll want to be here for this?"

"Oh, she passed out a little after you left. Remember we did basically pull an all-nighter."

"Ah," Bonnie replied, feeling only slightly suspicious. She laid her grimwoire out in front of her and began chanting the spell. The candles sprung to life, burning with bright flames. Wind began to rustle the piles of dead leaves around the house.

She finished the spell a couple of minutes later. "Did it work?" she wondered aloud.

Damon pretended like he was looking for the invisible barrier before hesitantly reaching forward. "Huh, I think it might've worked," he said, trying to sound amazed.

"You should go wake Elena up. Since she's the one who mentioned it, I'm sure she'd be excited to see that it worked."

"Good idea. I'll go check on her."

Bonnie glanced back at the car after Damon left, pleased to see that it really looked as if no one else was in the car. She took a small step inside the house, honestly surprised that Damon settled for a place like this. It really didn't match his taste.

"I'm not so sure that breaking that spell was a good idea, Miss Bennett," a voice said whispered into her ear. She gasped, spinning around to find Elijah standing directly behind her.

* * *

Damon didn't waste any time returning to the bedroom. He quietly closed the door behind him and laughed a little, amused with how much effort Elena was using in an attempt to free herself.

"Unfortunately, we don't have much time to ourselves right now, but how can I pass up an opportunity…like this?" he asked, running a finger along her torso. Elena shot him a disgusted look, which he gladly ignored.

"Don't look so angry, Elena. If memory serves, you enjoyed yourself last time." He reached for the buttons and zipper on her jeans and began to quickly undress her, while Elena began screaming into the gag.

* * *

Isn't the suspense just killing you? How will Damon pull this off with Caroline listening to what's going on and Elijah just a couple of feet away? Not to mention what will happen to Katherine and Stefan? It'll be make or break in the next chapter and Damon will have to decide whether he'll get what he wants or sacrifice his desires to save the woman he loves.

On an interesting side note, I was explaining 'Delena' and 'Stelena' to my boyfriend the other day, to which he said he was a 'Ste-fan' because he thinks Stefan is so much better than Damon...whatever . Lol

Have you checked out my TVD vids on Youtube? If not you should go to my profile page for the link to my Youtube account ;)

**THANK YOU: **1, Caro, militato123, Emmy, Insane Asylum, kimboxox, and ayna93 for you comments! As always, I truly appreciate what you have to say and I also cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my story.


	11. The Shield

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 11: The Shield 

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

**PREVIOUSLY: **_"Don't look so angry, Elena. If memory serves, you enjoyed yourself last time." He reached for the buttons and zipper on her jeans and began to quickly undress her, while Elena began screaming into the gag._

* * *

Though nothing had physically changed outdoors, the house's interior seemed to have gotten much colder and much darker. Bonnie stood frozen in place, trembling from head to toe as she watched Elijah approach her.

The only time Bonnie had feared a vampire was when she first met Katherine. But that was nothing compared to how she felt right now. Once he finally got close enough to her, he reached out and grabbed a curl near her face.

"I think we can all agree that it would be in Elena's best interest if you do not interfere any longer."

As soon as Bonnie heard Elena's name, she realized that she needed to snap out of this dazed fear and fight back. She slapped his hand away and glared in defiance. "Clearly you don't have any friends, because if you did, you wouldn't undermine the value of friendship. I refuse to let you hand Elena over to Klaus. I refuse to let her die."

Elijah didn't look the slightest bit rattled by her outburst. "Clearly, you don't know your friend as well as you thought, because if you did, you would've known that she's agreed to participate in the sacrifice so that I'd have a way to kill Klaus," he mocked.

Bonnie's eyebrows arched in surprise. How could Elena ever agree to something like that? Trusting that this stranger would keep his word and supposedly kill the world's oldest vampire wasn't a risk she should be taking.

"I don't care what Elena previously agreed to. Things are different now."

Elijah maintained his disinterested stare, knowing that there was little that a beginner witch could do to him. Bonnie eyed one of the wooden tables near the other side of the couch. All she needed to do was keep him distracted for a couple seconds so she could break off one of the wooden legs.

Her and Caroline had established a "secret word," meant to be said only when it was necessary for her hidden presence to be known. Bonnie classified this situation to be good enough of a reason. Besides, Damon probably heard Elijah coming and was in the back of the house, protecting Elena, therefore rendering a Caroline's role as vampire spy useless.

* * *

Damon took in the sight of Elena's bound, semi-naked body with great pleasure. The fact that he was going to fuck Elena with her unaware best friend just outside the door made it that much sweeter.

Elena had already given up on trying to verbally plea with him. So she tried conveying her dismay and hurt through her eyes, a task that wasn't too hard once the tears started freely flowing. Damon towered over her in a straddling position, his eyes taking notice of every inch of her body. Once he saw the few stray tears pouring from the corners of her eyes, he paused. The way she was looking at him, you would think she was begging him not to kill her, or something along those lines.

He rolled his eyes in response, ruling it out as an overdramatic reaction. He resumed where he had left off – tracing a finger along her flat abdomen, heading down south. He could feel her body tense up almost instantly. And just when his finger had slid across her wet core, he froze.

A series of unwanted noises and voices registered in his mind. He realized that Caroline and Jeremy had been hiding out in the car. They were arguing about whether or not it would be a good idea for Jeremy to ask Bonnie to be his date for the upcoming 60's-themed school dance…provided they all lived to see it.

Damon could've cared less about that. It was the conversation coming from just down the hall that bothered him. Elijah was here, probably about ready to rip Bonnie's heart out. Personally, he didn't care about what happened to the witch. He was more or less worried about Elijah making his way back here and finding them in such a position.

He sighed as he removed his hands from Elena's body and instead worked on undoing the belts and removing the gag. Elena had an arsenal of both questions and complaints ready to fire at him, but stopped when he placed a finger against her lips. He bent down until his mouth was just above her ear.

"We have company…Elijah is right outside the door. With Bonnie."

Elena gasped and felt all of her suffocating anxiety from just seconds ago vanish in favor of this new, darker fear. "What are we going to do?" she whispered.

Damon was at a loss of words. _How could this have happened_, he thought, angered. _Which one of those idiots led him to us? Stefan…he seemed to be the epitome of stupidity lately. But even so, he wouldn't go this far. The only person who would _truly_ have something out for Elena would be…_Katherine.

He felt like slapping himself in the face for ever involving her in his grand scheme. Of course she'd ruin everything. But knowing that still didn't change the problem at hand. As he observed Elena's saddened expression, he felt all monstrous, sexual feelings disappear and be replaced by feelings of chivalry and concern, which felt uncomfortably foreign.

Granted, Damon didn't care whether Bonnie lived or died at this point, but he couldn't ignore the fact that she meant something to Elena. His mind raced to think of what would be the next move.

"We could…" he began to suggest. The sound of movement and male screams in the other room cut him off. _Maybe the witch will be able to defend herself_, he thought.

* * *

Though Stefan had spent over a hundred years as a vampire and had once relished in its most ultimate abilities, he couldn't help but feel disturbed watching all the people around them. Katherine was stuck to the wall with three wooden stakes. Dried blood stained her clothes and the wall behind her. Stefan sat at the table next to her, unsure of what to do.

And all the compelled diners carried on with their mornings as if nothing was out of the ordinary. As if seeing people – err, vampires – staked to a wall was an everyday occurrence.

"Can't you at least grab one of these morons and give me some blood?" Katherine gritted. "It would make this _much_ easier."

Stefan rolled his eyes and reclined further back into his chair. "Forgive me if I don't really feel like making things easier for you at the moment."

"You can't stay mad at me forever, Stefan. That's not who you are."

A bitter chuckle slid past his curved lips. "Right, because you know me so well."

Katherine growled lowly, snapping her head to the side and glaring in the opposite direction. Her patience was thinner than usual and Stefan's attitude toward her was certainly not doing much to improve that.

More than anything, though, she resented herself. "If I'd known that this would've happened, I wouldn't have bothered turning the bitch over in the first place," she mumbled.

Stefan heard every single word and leaped up to his feet, getting up into her face. "You're the reason why he's going after Elena?"

"To be fair, Damon's the one who gave me the idea. He filled me in on his little plan to sweep her away from everyone. And I knew where they were at all times. For once his stupidity helped me out…or so I thought."

While Stefan wasn't exactly Damon's greatest fan at the moment, he still found himself more pissed at her than him. "Since this is your fault," he said lowly, pointing an accusatory finger at her, "you're going to be the one to fix it."

He reached forward and roughly tugged the stakes from her flesh and watched her collapse to the floor. She looked up at him with a dirty smirk.

"Didn't you hear what Elijah said? If we leave here, he'll kill everyone at the Grill. Won't that bother your saintly conscience?"

"Guess I'll have to worry about that later. Let's go."

He grabbed her arm and tugged her toward the door. It didn't take much effort for her to break from his grip and walk on her own. "Last I checked I'm the one who has any idea where we're going. I suggest you let me lead."

* * *

Bonnie stood her ground as Elijah stared her down. Personally, she felt impressed with herself thus far. Her eyes darted over to the smudged window in the front room. She needed Caroline now. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

It was ridiculously inappropriate to the situation, but that was the point, wasn't it? It would stand out like a sore thumb to Caroline's ears. And just as expected, Caroline sped into the room, successfully stealing Elijah's attention.

Bonnie then focused her mind on the wooden table and caused one of the legs to snap off. She lunged for the makeshift stake and repeatedly stabbed Elijah's back. While doing so, she mentally cast her favorite aneurism-inducing vampire spell, but was surprised to find that it really didn't have much of an effect on him.

Caroline, who had done her job as a distraction, was still standing in the doorway, looking horrified.

"Why do you look so surprised? Haven't you been listening to what's been going on?" Bonnie breathed out, struggling with the rapidly healing vampire.

Caroline gulped. "I may or may not have gotten distracted once the school dance got brought up."

"Caroline!" Bonnie chastised. "Go get the Vervain darts from the car."

She nodded fiercely. "Got it." She left in a blur, returning shortly after with a series of darts, which she aimed at Elijah.

Elijah considered the assault to be little more than an annoyance. However, they were timing their moves just perfect enough to be in negative correlation with his healing power – they would attack, he would heal, and then they'd attack before the healing was entirely finished.

He could feel his annoyance boiling into a heated rage. Their insolence was unacceptable. So, he lulled them into a false state of confidence, letting them pierce him with the darts and wooden stakes. Though he could still feel a small sting of pain, it was nothing compared to what he'd inflict upon them.

Just as Bonnie was going to pull the stake out from his flesh and go for another stab, he spun around suddenly, pivoting to face her. It was impossible to hide her surprise.

"I think that's enough of this childish behavior," he said in a terrifyingly calm voice. He reached behind him and plucked the stake out, letting it fall to the floor with a light clatter. That did nothing to eliminate Caroline's seemingly endless supply of Vervain darts. And he knew that.

Before she could shoot him again, Elijah gripped Bonnie's arm and roughly pulled her into his chest. He didn't even need to bare his fangs to scare both girls. They were well aware of his heart-snatching pastime.

"Oh, please," he smirked, "feel free to continue shooting if you'd like."

"Let her go."

All heads snapped to the side to find Damon standing in the hallway.

"Ah, _almost_ the person I was looking for." He released his hold on Bonnie, who had been so unexpectedly shaken from the anxiety that she collapsed.

"Too bad I can't say the same for you," Damon replied bitingly.

Though Elijah had never liked Damon, he had been forced to save his life many times due to his former deal with Elena. Now would be a more than excellent opportunity to extract some payment for his services.

* * *

Damon had told Elena that he would handle everything. She couldn't possibly just sit still on the bed, like he had asked her to, and wonder just what the hell was going on out there. Yet even with her ear pressed tightly up against the door, she could hardly hear a thing.

_Does Damon even stand a chance against Elijah?_ Elena wondered nervously. The thought of Damon being killed, even after everything he's put her through, seemed absolutely unbearable. All she could think about was when her and Damon had witnessed Elijah rip out the hearts of the two vampires who had responded to Elena's phone call when they were at Slater's apartment.

If he tried that, Damon wouldn't stand a chance. Elena knew that and refused to lie to herself. She also refused to let Damon do this alone. Though it was hard to admit, both Bonnie _and_ Damon were important people in her life. She won't let them die.

Without constructing much of a plan, she opened the door slowly and crept out into the hall. Damon was standing at the end of the hallway, just staring Elijah down. Elena was surprised to find Caroline standing by the door and Bonnie was lying on the floor.

It was Bonnie who noticed Elena first. "Elena, get out of here!" she cried. Naturally, everyone's attention focused on her before turning to Elena. Her eyes widened as her heartbeat began to triple. She instantly heeded Bonnie's advice and searched for an escape route.

There were two windows she could easily fit through and then the front door, of course. If Damon and Caroline could hold off Elijah long enough, she was sure that she could dart to the door and escape.

And they did just that, forming a wall blocking off Elijah. Elena's clammy fingers wrapped around the doorknob slowly as she opened the door. She was hesitant to leave them behind with Elijah, but what else could she do?

Bonnie was a witch.

Caroline was a vampire.

Damon was a vampire.

Then there was Elena, the human.

She saw Jeremy getting out of Bonnie's car and running toward her. She took a leaping step forward, but froze just before crossing the door's threshold.

"What's going on? Bonnie, didn't the spell work?" Elena asked, trembling.

"It should've. Unless something else happened." She aimed a judgmental glare at Damon.

"_Oh_, so just because something you were responsible for fixing didn't work, it's suddenly my fault?" Of course Damon knew that in this particular instance, it _was_ his fault. But how could he admit to that in front of all of them? To Elena? He never would've expected his compulsion, intending to keep Elena closest to him, to end up backfiring. Badly.

Bonnie was lost in thought, trying to find an acceptable reason for Elena being unable to leave, just in case Damon wasn't responsible. Caroline was keeping her on Elijah, who had abandoned his vengeful mission, in favor of getting what he came for in the first place.

Damon exhaled a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Shit," he muttered. After he discarded his pride, Damon sped over to Elena and looked into her eyes.

"I knew it!" Bonnie spat.

"Not a good time to be butting in, judgey," Damon barked over his shoulder.

But before Damon could cancel the compulsion, he felt a burning pain creeping up his backside. He glanced down to find blood starting to soak through his shirt. Realizing that there was no way he'd be able to un-compel Elena with Elijah breathing down his neck, Damon turned to face him.

"I suggest you step aside, Mr. Salvatore. There's really no point in extending this endeavor."

"For a thousand year old vampire, you're not very smart," Damon sneered. "I would never stand by and just let you take her."

Elena stared at the back of Damon's head with an oddly warm feeling in her chest. Damon had said to her, a couple times now, that he loved her. In the past he's saved her and protected her. Aside from the whole kidnapping thing, Elena began to understand just how much he's done for her.

How much he cares about her.

Elijah rolled his eyes. _Some people never learn_.

"Don't make me force you," he said in a bored tone.

Damon's jaw tightened as he stood firmly in place. He stared Elijah down without a moment of hesitance.

"Must you always complicate things?" he asked as he approached Damon. His head was bent down as he placed a hand on Damon's shoulder. "Get out of my way and stay away from Elena."

Damon could feel the compulsion settling in, but he didn't care. He had every intention of fighting it with his whole being. His legs started to carry him to the left. He bit hard into his lip and strained his neck to look at Elena.

Needless to say, he was completely stunned by what he saw. She had never looked at him that way. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she'd ever looked at Stefan like that. It almost made him melt inside.

The taste of blood became quickly apparent on his lips as he forced his body into what felt like twisted and contorted positions just to fight against the signals his brain was being forced to send to his limbs.

Elena felt tears line her lower lid. The pain Damon was experiencing was clearly etched on his face. "Damon, you don't have to do this," she said softly, allowing a tear or two to fall.

"Yes…I do…," he grunted. "If this doesn't prove that I love you, I don't know what else will." He chuckled somewhat bitterly.

Both Bonnie and Caroline had multiple free chances to attack Elijah, but the sight stunned them all. Even Elijah couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Though the compulsion prevented Damon from being able to completely approach her. "Elena, you are free to leave."

She watched as his body dropped to the floor and his breathing became ragged. She took small steps backward, feeling overwhelmed with emotions.

Just a mere hour ago, she feared what Damon planned on doing to her as she was tied up and exposed. Now he just risked his own life to save her? He really needed to stop doing this. All it was doing was confusing her.

But she didn't have time to stand around and calculate what it all meant. Her eyes met Damon's just once more as the tears finally fell. "Thank you," she whispered, turning to run out the door.

"How the hell…?" Caroline asked, unsure of whether she was disturbed or impressed with Damon's action.

"I believe the term you're looking for is…OMG," Elijah muttered.

* * *

Stefan was struggling to keep up with Katherine's speed through the woods. She was still close enough in sight that he could keep track of where her blurred figured was heading, but it slightly bothered him to know that he was lagging.

Eventually, a small eroding house came into view. Stefan was surprised that Damon would pick such a simple location, but the place was pretty secluded nonetheless.

"Who knew you were such a slow poke," Katherine taunted, watching Stefan catch his breath.

"Who knew you were such a manipulative bitch," he fired back.

Katherine felt a miniscule tug at her heart, but ignored it. She was about to remind Stefan that he didn't think so lowly of her when they first met, but was cut off. The sound of crunching leaves had never sounded so ominous before. Katherine could feel it. Something bad was coming this way.

And if Katherine felt even the slightest sliver of fear, you knew it was bad.

"Get over here," she mumbled, grabbing the collar of Stefan's jacket and pulling him with her into the nearby bushes. Of course Stefan wanted to protest and ask questions. She silenced him with a single, slender finger up against his lips. She stared hard into his eyes, and he soon came to realize that this was serious.

Once they were situated and out of sight, Katherine pulled a couple branches aside so she could get some sort of a view. The moment she caught a glimpse of his face, she felt her throat begin to constrict. It was a face she never wanted to see again. It was the reason she'd spent so many centuries running away.

It was Klaus. And he was heading toward the house.

* * *

I apologize for the ridiculously long wait :( i started working on this during christmas break and then got busy with school. but what are your thoughts on damon's decision to prove himself to elena? do you think she'll actually keep it in mind next time they're alone together? what will happen when they run into klaus? Find out in the next chapter!

**THANK YOU:** Emmy, theunknown1234, my 2 guys, kat, Tatas Bouncealot, Caro, Karkoolka, and ayna93 for your comments and for being patient with me. ill try to update all my stories more often once i get used to my new school schedule


	12. Bleed Together

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 12: Bleed Together 

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

__**PREVIOUSLY: **It was Klaus. And he was heading toward the house. (A/N: That rhymes!)

* * *

_This time will be forever_

_This time we'll be together_

_My love for you cannot die_

_Our wounds will bleed together_

_This time we'll be together_

_My love for you cannot die_

"Bleed Together" The Autumn Offering

* * *

Elena's body felt heavy as she tried to dash over to the car. It could have been from the physical and mental exhaustion she'd experienced the past couple days. Or it could the guilt settling in on her heart for refusing to ever give Damon a chance to prove himself.

Maybe if she had done so, this whole situation – kidnapping – included would've never happened. But how could she have known? She thought she was happy with Stefan…

She laughed despite herself, wondering if this past year spent dealing in all this supernatural, vampire bullshit was actually worth it. But as she walked around the front end of Bonnie's car, heading toward the driver's seat, she bumped into a hard surface, sending her contemplative thoughts scattering in every direction.

There was a man standing between her and the door. She gasped, feeling almost certain that she should've _seen_ him standing in her way, unless… _Oh God, another vampire_, she thought, feeling the familiar sense of terror igniting in her stomach.

"After all these years," he murmured, a smirk slowly creeping across his lips. "You must be the lovely Elena Gilbert."

That sinking feeling suddenly plummeted as Elena realized, based on his words, that this must be Klaus. Her body trembled as she took slow steps backward. Subconsciously, she shook her head, finding that words were too hard to form.

"Don't be scared, love," he said. "I don't bite…much." His fit of maniacal laughter did little to make Elena feel any better.

* * *

Stefan felt his chest constrict as he watched Klaus approach Elena, knowing that it was inevitable. What could he do? He would gladly give his life for hers, but that didn't mean he had to be rash. All he needed was a plan.

Katherine had been visibly shaken by Klaus's abrupt arrival, but once she saw that he had his sights set on Elena, she cooled down at bit. She was leaning causally against a tree trunk, twirling a curled lock of hair around her finger. Stefan eyed her for a moment, the wheels in his mind turning.

"This is your fault," he said flatly, pointing a finger at her. She arched an eyebrow, daring him to tell her why she should care. He wanted to tear her apart, but thought better of it, knowing it would surely catch Klaus's attention.

"This is your fault. And you're going to fix it." He reached for her wrist, but she pulled away with a pout.

"Forgive me for not worshiping at Elena's alter like you and Damon."

He rolled his eyes, feeling the desperation settle in. He knew there was only one way to get through to Katherine – tell her what she wants to hear. "You're right, Katherine. You don't care about Elena. And why should you? She's only trying to be a faulty version of yourself. I guess…I guess I can't blame you."

Katherine's interest peaked, though she was cautious. "That seems oddly out of character for you, Stefan," she breathed.

"Do you know how hard it is…to fight your own feelings? I've been in denial all this time and—."

Katherine placed a slender finger up against his lips. "Prove it."

Stefan felt a tremor pass through his being as he found himself almost savoring her cool touch. With a shakiness normally reserved for nervous teens about to share their first kiss, he leaned forward and met her lips with his. Repeatedly, he told himself that this was for Elena's sake.

It was, wasn't it?

Elena tried to tear her arm away from Klaus, but his grip was solid and unbreakable. You might think that being in the presence of the world's evilest vampire, who plans on sacrificing you on an altar of blood, would be enough to keep your mind off the emotional trauma that Damon caused.

But it didn't.

* * *

Elena found herself pleadingly staring at the house, as if that would make Damon appear and save the day. As much as she wished it were the case, she knew that she wasn't staring there just in hopes of being saved. She couldn't get him out of her head.

He had done _so_ much to hurt her. It might even be considered unforgiveable. Yet he would do anything to save her, anything to have her. But she couldn't rely on him for everything. She needed to save herself. For her, and for him.

"Now then, I understand that you've met my brother, Elijah."

Elena directed her attention back to him, driven by confusion. _They're brothers?_ "Do you always make your family members do your dirty work?" she spat, surprised by the sudden ferocity in her tone.

His lips cracked a smile as he laughed stiffly. "I prefer to think of it as more of a family endeavor."

"What would he get out of you becoming an all-powerful hybrid?"

"I'd tell you to just wait and see, but then I remembered…you won't be around," he whispered into her ear. He grinned, feeling her tremble in his arms.

* * *

Damon stood his ground, staring Elijah down between heavy pants of breath. It took literally all of his strength to fight off the tugs of compulsion. He knew that he would never stand a chance should Elijah choose to attack.

Elijah straightened his tie as he regained his composure. "I must say that was an arguably honorable move, Mr. Salvatore. Foolish, but honorable."

Damon gave him a bitter look. "I did what I had to do."

"Yes, well unfortunately I'm not sure it was worth the cost," he said with a dark chuckle. "You see, Niklaus has already arrived and has captured our dear Elena. One might say your entire struggle was in vain."

Damon felt his heart sink. Of course he considered the possibility that Elijah was lying, but a moment of concentrated vampire hearing quickly disproved that theory. Now what was he going to do? He glanced over at Bonnie and Caroline, who looked just as helpless as he felt. They wouldn't stand a chance.

"Perhaps it would be best if I just end all of your misery now," Elijah said, looking at each of them. "Soon Elena will be dead, anyway."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Damon murmured, turning on his heel toward the door. His hand brushed up against the knob just as Elijah came up from behind and slammed him into the wall.

"DAMON!" Caroline shouted, speeding over to his side.

"I'll get to you in a moment," Elijah said, using his free hand to shove her backwards. He shared eye contact with each of the girls before compelling them to remain where they were.

"I could show mercy and end this quickly, but I think you deserve something more fitting." Elijah reached behind himself and ripped out a stake that had been wedged into his back.

Without a second more, he shoved the stake into Damon's abdomen, over and over again. Damon couldn't bite back the pain and emitted howls of pain, which reverberated off the walls, piercing Bonnie and Caroline's ears, resulting in a saddened cringe.

Damon's blood continued spilling out onto Elijah's hand, coating it in a sticky crimson substance. The sound of dripping blood was almost as difficult to endure as his screams.

* * *

Just as Elena was mentally pleading for him to save her, Damon found his thoughts drifting to her. Wishing he could just see her.

Stefan broke away from Katherine with his eyes still squeezed shut. He didn't have time for this, nor did he feel like dealing with these internal conflictions.

"You can't lie to me, Stefan. Your kiss gives you away…"

He let out a breath he hadn't released he was holding and finally faced her. "What exactly does that mean?"

"You won't be able to truly act on your buried feelings for me until you've let her go. Now, there are two ways we could go about doing this. One, I could let Klaus kill her. Two, we could help her escape. I'm assuming you'd prefer the latter."

Though it wasn't specifically what he'd been expecting, Stefan supposed he couldn't complain. "Obviously," he replied. "But what do you get out of this?"

"I help you save Elena and you forget she ever existed. Deal?"

Stefan swallowed hard. Given the duress of the situation, he had no choice but to agree. Now, whether it would manifest into a bluff or a promise, he couldn't say for sure. Maybe with any luck, Klaus would kill Katherine and he'd be rid of another problem.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder, would that _really_ solve anything?

He nodded curtly and watched a flicker of fear pass across her face before she masked it with reckless confidence. She sped out of the bushes and landed gracefully just a few feet behind Klaus. "Klausy, I'm home," she sneered, outstretching her arms, daring him to rip her heart out.

Klaus never really was one to disappoint.

He spun around, with Elena still in tow, and glared at the new arrival. "Katerina," he spat. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Surely you've missed me," she smirked, sauntering forward in her typically seductive manner. "I know you're busy," she stole a bitter glance at Elena, "but don't you think you can give a few minutes for an old _friend_?"

"Excuse me, love," Klaus said distractedly, slamming Elena against the car

door. "It would seem I have some quick unfinished business to attend to."

"After all these years, that's the best way you can refer to me?" she pouted. "As business?"

Klaus shrugged. "I've got to move on to bigger and better things." He shot a devilish smirk over his shoulder at Elena.

Katherine could feel her blood boil. _Why the hell is everyone obsessed with her? What does she have that I don't?_ She thought bitterly. The sooner she got this over with, though, the sooner she could regain her prize.

"I'll make you eat those words." She sped forward midway through her sentence, effectively jabbing the pointy tip of her four-inch heel into his thigh.

She narrowed her eyes over toward Elena. "You better get out of here before I change my mind," she spat.

Elena stood there dumbfounded for a second or two. Why would Katherine want to help her? Regardless…she looked back and forth between the dark forested road to her right and the house to her left. If she went back into that house, it could cause everything they've done for her to be in vain.

Though she felt a strong resistance building inside of her, she made a run for the woods. Despite putting what she figured was her best effort into the escape, she didn't make it far before she caught sight of Stefan stepping out from behind a tree trunk. She found herself slowing her pace as she stood before him.

His expression was dripping with various amounts of hurt and regret. It almost pained Elena to look at him. It almost made her forget what he had done to her. His next words certainly didn't help in the matter.

"As much as disliked spending time with her, I managed to get her to help us out. She owes you that much," he said softly.

Elena's mouth fell slightly agape. "You're the one who sent her to save me?"

This was the Stefan she had fallen in love with. He always put her life above his own. Granted he wasn't the one who personally rescued her…

And hadn't Damon risked his life on multiple occasions on her behalf?

She brought a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, feeling a pulsating headache approaching, in addition to everything else. Memories of the times she'd spent with Stefan were clouding her judgment. Those memories represented a time when she was happy…when she was safe.

"C'mon, Elena. I can take you to safety." He outstretched his arm, suggesting that she take his hand.

Elena's eyes opened and she stared down at his hand, tempted to reach for it. And she would've, had it not been for an ear-piercing scream coming from the house. It sounded all too familiar.

"No," she said. "I won't feel safe until Damon and the others are too." Without leaving room for argument, she turned on her heal and snuck back to the house, Stefan hot on her trail.

* * *

Klaus and Katherine were in an undeniably close proximity. The heel of her shoe was still lodged comfortably between the flesh and muscles in his leg. He reached out and grabbed a hold of her curly hair, tangling his fingers in it.

"That was the last mistake you will ever make, Katerina."

He used his other hand to rip out the heel. He gave her a dark look before slamming her head into the rear window of the car, successfully cracking the glass, and a portion of her skull. She groaned a little, both surprised and hurt by the sensation of pain. He released his grip on her hair, allowing her to turn around and face him again.

She ignored the sting of the embedded bits of glass and the thick streams of blood dripping down her face. She almost even felt like laughing, despite herself. "Don't you think I deserve a little bit better than this? After everything I've done for you in the past couple weeks…"

"Would you care to enlighten me on just how you've ever helped me?"

She rolled her eyes. "After Damon, Stefan, and Elena had their first encounter with Elijah and after Elena could be placed off of suicide watch, they had taken extra precautions to keep her safe and were working on ways to fight off Elijah. I'd guess their efforts were working, since Elijah had yet to make a move. So, I made Damon believe I was going to help him and then sold him and Elena out, keeping them locked in this shit hole of a house like sitting ducks for Elijah. If anything you should be thanking me for making your doppelganger hunt a little less tedious this time around."

"Ah," Klaus nodded. "Well, I'm sorry to inform you that one deed isn't enough to erase five hundred years of transgressions."

Katherine's confidence visibly quivered, though didn't completely crumble. "Can't we just be mature adults and let bygones be bygones?" she sneered.

"I think we're a little past that, love," Klaus said with a sickeningly sweet smile, quickly replaced by a darkened look. "Once I finally kill you, everything will be perfect."

He lunged forward and slammed her into the trunk of the car. Naturally, she protested with her own subhuman strength. The friction caused them to bend the metal backward until he was lying on top of her, a rather awkward position.

Before either one of them could vehemently protest, they heard a noise from the front row of seats. Jeremy sat up rubbing some sleep from his eyes and nearly screamed at the sight of what his tired eyes perceived to be Klaus on top of his sister. He acted quickly, tugging his sleeve upward and revealing one of the patented dart guns Alaric created.

Klaus foolishly pushed himself off of Katherine and was about to get out of the vehicle, not perceiving the younger Gilbert as much of a threat, but froze in his tracks once three wooden stakes embedded themselves into his back.

* * *

As Elena raced past the trees and returned to the sight of that damned house, she knew. She knew that there had to be something inside of her that felt for Damon. Although she couldn't quite define these feelings, she knew that at the very least she needed to be there for him.

Crazy as it might sound, Elena realized, for every time Damon hurt her, he managed to save her life in one way or another shortly after. But still that didn't mean she could just come out and forgive him just like that. It would take time.

Provided they lived long enough.

She ignored whatever might have been going on with Katherine and Klaus. She ignored the sound of Stefan's protests and footsteps from behind.

Finally reaching the house, she tore the door open and stepped inside, but stopped short upon noticing the intense amount of crimson she was seeing. Her eyes focused, and landed on the sight of Elijah standing next to Damon, with his hand lodged in Damon's chest cavity.

"Ah, Elena, you've returned," Elijah said with a smile. "And just in time for the grand finale."

"Let him go," she spat.

He laughed at her naiveté. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. By the time you reach me, his heart will already be on the floor."

Damon strained his neck to turn and see Elena standing there, fighting for him. His vision was starting to blur along the edges as his breathing became ragged. He glanced down at Elijah's blood-soaked hand sticking out of his chest. The wrong move would prove to be costly. He could _feel_ Elijah's fingers wrapped around his heart. It was an odd feeling, to say the least.

He knew he needed to do something fast. Elijah made a good point – Elena would never be able to reach him before Elijah ripped his heart out.

Stefan had chosen not to enter right away, not really wanting to see the inevitable display of affection between his girlfriend and his brother. After gathering a sense of the situation, he realized he didn't really have much of a choice but to help. Waiting till the last possible minute, he punched a fist through the bedroom window and climbed inside, noting a bloodied stake on the ground. He picked it up and sped out to the living room, hardly visible as a blurred figure, before stabbing Elijah with the stake.

Elijah moaned lowly, relinquishing his grip on Damon's heart and spun around to find Stefan behind him. "YOU!" he seethed. "I told you what would happen if you and Katerina came here."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Damon breathed out, struggling to get back on his feet as the hole in his chest began to close up. "We're not done here." He gestured between himself and Elijah.

"Decisions, decisions," Elijah muttered, standing between both Salvatore's.

"You're all wrong," Elena said, approaching the three vampires. "He came here for _me_. He doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Well I am pleased to hear you finally accept your fate, you'll have to allow me a couple of seconds to silence these pests once and for all."

Elijah turned to face Damon, eying the blood that had stained his clothes and flesh...the floor, the walls "You're as good as dead," he smirked.

Damon braced himself for the attack, but found that it never quite happened. Elena leapt in front of him feeling the brutal assault of a sharpened wooden stake in her shoulder. It was plunged deep into her flesh, sending forth a flood of blood. She gasped as the pain spread through her body and she collapsed at Damon's feet. Elijah started down at her with a look of absolute mortification and horror.

Healing her should've been the first of everyone's priorities, but Damon was absolutely enraged. He sprung forward, sending a sped up fist colliding into Elijah's perfectly structured face – the force of the blow knocking him off balance. His knuckles had busted open with various lacerations bleeding out.

Damon bent down and pulled Elena into his arms. He eyed the stake sticking out of her shoulder with a shudder. It was definitely a detrimental wound. He needed to heal her. He brought a busted, bruised arm up to his lips and effortlessly bit into his wrist.

"Drink this," he whispered, holding his wrist just below her mouth. He watched as she hesitated. The blood from his self-inflicted started to drip on her chest, slowly sliding down in thin trails. What was she waiting for?

She shook her head, weakly trying to escape his grasp. "At least if I die now, it won't be for Klaus's sacrifice and everyone that I love will be safe."

"Is that what you think?" he asked lowly. "You think that as soon as you die in my arms, that'll stop _him_ from finishing what he started." He glared up at Elijah. "Don't be an idiot, Elena."

She shoved a hand up against his chest, still trying to create some space. "I've…made up my mind," she breathed.

"_You_ don't have a say in the matter," he growled, forcing his blood into her mouth.

* * *

Can Elena _really_ get mad at Damon for saving her life? Knowing her, she'll find a way. But hey, at least she's making some progress in the whole 'acknowledging feelings for Damon' thing. That's good right?

Spring Break is coming up for me (woot!) so expect a couple more updates on the way ;)

**COMMENT** ...or you could be REALLY amazing and go check out my blog...it has links to some of my Youtube videos, thoughts on being a journalist, a little bio, and links to all of my super amazing magazine articles. Who knows, you might find an article that really interests you! Over break I'll be adding a tab for my fanfic stories, complete with a list of dates for when to expect updates.

Click the link...you know you want to! .com/

Last but not least, **THANK YOU: **Jenny, Emmy, Paramore16, espholie, Caro, vamplover2011, Jade, sadie, ayna93, and pwrmom2 for all your comments 3


	13. Just A Car Crash Away

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 13: Just A Car Crash Away

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

* * *

Elena coughed as the blood trickled forcefully down her throat. The taste was pleasant, but the experience left a stinging sensation behind. All those nights she spent wide-awake, wondering what it would be like to be a vampire…

Of course she had always known that if her relationship with Stefan were to amount to anything meaningful, she'd have to transition at some point. Sometimes when she was bored during class, she'd let her mind wander, imagining how Stefan would do it.

Was that what was bothering her the most – the fact that Stefan wasn't the one to give her the blood? Guilt rendered her motionless as she looked up at Damon, still covered in various cuts and scrapes.

She hated him for everything he did to her. But she hated him even more for making her fall in love with him.

"You're unbelievable," she muttered, scooting out of his arms. Although all of her wounds sealed shut once the blood entered her system, she still reached for a nearby piece of shattered glass and ran it along her wrist.

Damon didn't blink twice before reaching for her hand and sucking blood out of the thin opening, knowing full well that Caroline and Stefan, hell, even Elijah, were cringing at the sight of blood, secretly wanting a taste of their own.

But she chose to give some only to _him_.

* * *

Time seemed to stand still as Klaus slowly turned around and faced Jeremy. Feeling the fear settle in, Jeremy scrambled to reload his weapon. But even with the wooden stakes protruding from his flesh, Klaus was much quicker.

"You might want to be careful with these, lad," he said calmly, gripping Jeremy's hand, which held a couple small stakes. "They could hurt someone." Jeremy cried out as he felt the bones in his hand slowly snap like twigs.

He was only temporarily distracted from the pain once he watched Katherine stand up and laugh lowly. "Thanks for the save, bro," she taunted. Then she took off in a blur.

Klaus growled as he glanced between where Katherine had been standing and back over to the house. He needed to secure his doppelganger first. Revenge could always wait.

"Before we go retrieve your sister, how about a quick bite?" Klaus didn't give Jeremy much time to protest. He ripped him out of the car and slammed him up against the door, feasting into his flesh.

* * *

Since everyone had been lost in thought from the suddenness of Damon's actions, it wasn't too hard to hear Jeremy screaming outside. Fear immediately coursed through Elena as her eyes widened and she sprung to her feet. "That was Jeremy!" she cried, heading for the door.

"Hey, how about we don't rush out there and get ourselves killed?" Damon said, pulling on her arm. "Remember that magic little ring Jeremy has? Klaus probably knows about it and is going to use it to his advantage. It's a trap."

"I don't care! I'm not going to let my brother get hurt because of me." But no matter how hard she fought him, Damon's grip didn't falter.

Suddenly, the door flew open, sending Elena stumbling backwards into Damon's arms. Their eyes locked briefly, each silently enjoying this closeness to some degree, before focusing on what caused the door to open so fiercely.

"Mind if we join the party?" Klaus asked, smirking. Jeremy's body was covered in bite marks and bloodstains.

"You monster," Bonnie muttered with disgust.

"It seems you people respond best to violence," he shrugged. "I think we all know what I'm here for, so what do you say we get on with it? I mean, I could do _this_ all day." His eyes blackened as his sharpened canines approached Jeremy's neck.

Klaus' unanticipated entrance caused Damon's hold on Elena to loosen. She took advantage of the situation and stepped forward. "If I go with you, if I do whatever you want me to, will you please leave my family and friends alone?" she pleaded.

After spending years and years running, tricking, and deceiving, Klaus had become an expert in all three categories. So, he had no problem lying through his teeth as he promised safety for Elena's loved ones. His patience had been tested one too many times thanks to those Salvatore brothers, and he had every intention of making them pay.

"You have my word, Elena. Once the sacrifice is complete, I'll leave this pathetic town behind." He threw Jeremy to the ground and held out a hand for Elena to take. "Shall we?"

She cringed at the sight of her brother's blood on his hand. There was only so far she could go. Instead, she gave him a solemn stare as she shoved her way past him and walked outside.

Klaus turned to follow his doppelganger, but paused and glanced back at Elijah. "Katerina still needs to pay for her crimes. Go find her and bring her to me."

Elijah complied, heading for the door. "Gentleman," he said, addressing both Salvatore brothers, "I trust you realize our little quarrel is far from over."

Appalled by the sight of almost all of Elena's loved ones standing there helplessly, Damon snarled, "Are you seriously all just going to stand there and watch him take her away?"

"Going after him now would be a suicide mission, Damon. We're not ready," Bonnie reasoned.

"We don't have the _luxury_ of being ready."

Stefan, who had been standing in silence, glared at his brother. "What difference does it make? You've already determined her fate. She's going to become a vampire once Klaus kills her!"

"At least we know that we'll see her again."

* * *

The walk through the woods was silent and dreadful. Elena was thankful that Klaus hadn't tried to make small talk or force her along the way. Or perhaps he had tried talking to her and maybe she had been too tangled in her thoughts to notice.

She knew what all of this meant. She knew that if she let Klaus kill her, she would come back as a vampire. And she was completely terrified inside.

A black SUV waited along the tree line. "Our chariot awaits, love," Klaus announced, holding the door open. Elena noticed that he was ushering her into the passenger seat. Not really wanting to be near him, she slipped behind him and opened the door leading to the back seat. It didn't take him long to notice. "Your brother's blood is all over those seats. Of course if that doesn't bother you…"

Elena glared at him, dismissing all fear momentarily, as she slammed the door shut and accepted the front seat. Much to her surprise, he didn't close the door. He leaned up against the doorframe with one arm and reached for her with the other. She cringed as his fingers traced her jaw line. "Your face has haunted me for the last thousand years," he whispered.

* * *

Skeletal branches from the trees blended into the dreary background as Katherine pushed herself to the limits, going incredibly fast – even by vampire standards. After all these years, she refused to be captured because her dumb doppelganger couldn't beat Klaus at his own game. Elijah's nearby presence was starting to overwhelm her, fueling her. If there was one particular thing Katherine was good at, it would be preservation.

Elijah was closing in on her, hardly breaking a sweat in maintaining her speed. Regardless of how fast you run, Katherine realized, it won't mean anything if you don't have a good hiding spot. She smirked to herself, for the briefest moment, upon spotting her hiding spot. There was a rocky ledge protruding from the ground with a jagged opening hollow enough for her to shimmy inside.

As she crouched down to peer inside the opening, she found a couple of foxes huddled together. She rolled her eyes, reaching inside and grabbing them by the scruff of their necks and tossing them out. "Sorry, but I think you'll find my life to be more valuable than yours," she muttered. The foxes scurried away, a small clump of fiery fur moving through the accumulation of dead leaves on the ground.

Katherine maneuvered her way into the hole and lay on her side, pushing her back up against the rocky interior. She took a few seconds to steady her breath, then focused on keeping watch.

Several minutes passed before she heard his sped up steps come to a halt, just a few feet away from her. His trained eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for the slightest, miniscule sign of life. Katherine's entire being froze when his gaze landed in her direction.

In that instant, she felt herself being transported to that night in England, that night when she was still human – on the run from Klaus and Elijah. She could still remember the pure terror that electrified her pulse and forced her mind into a state of constant scheming. She would've done anything to stay alive, granted she hadn't planned on living for an _eternity_, but still she completely rejected the thought of dying in a sacrifice ritual for some monster.

She was horrified to find that a small fit of laughter almost slipped past her lips. How ironic was this? It's been more than 500 years since their last chase, and yet here they were in the same situation. Elijah lingered in the area a moment longer before taking off to continue his search.

Ensuring that it wasn't some sort of trap, Katherine waited in her hiding spot for another fifteen minutes before she crawled out, heading back to the cabin. _Even if Damon and Stefan are so helplessly in love with Elena, I know they won't let me die. That cabin is the safest place I could be right now_, she thought.

* * *

After Elena got into the car, Klaus sped off, anxious to distance himself from anyone who could further complicate his plans. His fingers flexed around the steering wheel as he felt a variety of emotions overwhelm him. Finally, after a thousand years, he could break this curse his so-called mother placed on him.

But there was more to it that. Seeing Elena's face – the same face she's shared with two other women truly has haunted him since becoming a vampire. Tatia, the girl that he and his brother loved, was killed to grant his family eternal life. Klaus truly believed that he loved her, and when he first met Katherine, he felt his heart leap, ecstatic to see her face again. Now, now he knew things couldn't go wrong. His plan would not fail. Elena's blood will be spilt and he will become a hybrid. That made her even more beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than Tatia herself.

While keeping one hand on the wheel, Klaus reached over with the other to grab onto Elena's hand. She jumped, giving him a questioning look as she tried to try her fingers from his. "What are you doing?"

"Forgive me, Elena." He rubbed his thumb along the palm of her hand. "I've waited so long for this day. You're going to set me free."

With a little more effort, Elena wedged her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, you almost make me wish that I didn't have any friends or family," she said softly. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it to keep them safe."

"What if I killed all of them right after the ritual is completed? Then your noble actions will all be for nothing."

Elena shot him an incredulous look – her eyes narrowed and mouth slightly agape. "You wouldn't dare," she muttered. "_Please_."

Klaus smirked as he stared ahead of him. "Maybe you should be more agreeable." He reached out again, this time stroking her cheek. Elena realized what he meant, and as much as it made her hate herself, she didn't remove his hand. "There's a good girl."

* * *

"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard," Damon groaned, throwing his hands up into the air overdramatically.

Stefan glared at him in defiance. "It's better than your nonexistent plan of just letting Elena die and become a vampire."

"But, Stefan, we can't just storm Klaus' fortress if A) we don't know where said fortress is and B) we don't know how to kill him," Caroline pointed out, her voice attempting to sound reasonable, yet comforting.

"For once Vampire Barbie knows what she's talking about," Damon muttered.

Looking around at the group, Stefan rolled his eyes. "Elena is _my_ girlfriend and I think I should –."

"You should what? Mistake Katherine for your girlfriend and have sex with her again?" Damon smirked bitterly.

Stefan sped over to him, getting up in his face. "In case you forgot, you made the same mistake, and Elena wasn't ever your girlfriend."

"A kiss," Damon gasped mockingly. "How scandalous of me."

"Enough!" Bonnie shouted, holding her hands out, ready to bring both feuding vampires to their knees. "You two need to get over your jealousy and focus on the situation at hand. When Klaus kills her two things will happen – he will break the curse and Elena will become a vampire. We don't know how dangerous Klaus will become once the curse is broken, but at the same time there's nothing we could do to stop him!" She paused and focused on Stefan. "The best thing we can do for her is be ready to help her transition."

"Are you sure that's the only solution?" Katherine asked in a bored tone. Everyone spun around to find her leaning casually against the wall. No one heard her enter.

Damon approached her warily. "If you have a better suggestion, spit it out. We don't have much time."

She played with a lose curl, twirling it around her finger, delaying for a minute or two before her eyes shot up to meet his. "Forgive me for not kneeling at Elena's altar every chance I get," she snarled.

"Katherine," Caroline said, timidly at first. "Do you have a plan or not?"

Katherine pushed herself off the wall and stalked toward the blonde vampire. "And what makes you think you can use that tone with me?"

Caroline gulped, subconsciously taking steps backward each time Katherine moved closer. Bonnie, tired of vampires acting like bullies, stepped in front of Caroline and gave Katherine a hard, confident stare. "I can tell that you like to play games and toy with people, but this isn't the time for that. Elena's life, and possibly the rest of ours, is on the line. So unless you plan on sharing your ingenious alternative, I suggest you leave."

Katherine had to admit she was impressed with the witch's composure. It was a refreshing contrast to how she'd been when Katherine first introduced herself at the Lockwood's.

"Fine," she said begrudgingly. "If you really must know, I know how to stop Klaus from using Elena in the sacrifice. Now, it might be worth acknowledging that she probably won't be human when you're all reunited. Sorry." She laughed briefly.

"What are you going to do?" Stefan asked, speaking for the first time since Katherine appeared.

She grinned, catlike and mischievous. "It's a surprise."

After blowing a kiss in Stefan's direction, Katherine spun on her heels and headed for the door. Damon stepped in front of her, mistrust clear as day on his face. She leaned in close to him, placing her mouth up against his ear. "Once I save your dream girl, you better take her and stay out of Mystic Falls – for good this time."

* * *

Elena couldn't take it any longer. After everything she's been through, why should she back down now? She knew she had Damon's blood in her system. Technically speaking, there was nothing that Klaus could do to _physically _harm her. Mentally, though, that was a different story.

Without debating the matter any further, she used her elbow to shove his hand away. The car swerved a little as he turned to look at her, surprise flickering briefly in his eyes before turning to rage.

He lashed out, arm swinging to the side and fist colliding with absolute precision. Elena cried out as the impact whipped her head into the window. Her skull didn't break the glass entirely, but did leave behind a nice spider web-like series of cracks. Warm blood gushed from the wound on her forehead, bleeding into her eye. She couldn't even feel the left side of her face, where he struck her.

Then, something clicked in her mind – perhaps a result of being so shaken up. _I'd rather him kill me before completing the ritual and turn me into a vampire…I'd rather fight alongside my friends than leave them at his mercy during my transition_, she thought. She took a breath then reached across and dragged her nails down his cheek.

Klaus started laughing, both surprising and terrifying Elena. He touched his cheek, smearing some of the blood spurting out of the three or four jagged lines she made. "The moment I break the curse," he growled, slowing turning and staring her dead on, "I will kill every single friend and family member that has ever had the displeasure of knowing you. I will tear them all to shreds until there isn't a distinct recognizable quality left to be found."

Elena was about to respond, ready to egg him on a little more, but froze once she saw something – or rather someone – standing in the middle of the road. Even in her state of slight panic, she immediately recognized Katherine.

She was just standing there, head tilted down slightly and her lips stretching upward in a taunting smirk.

"Katerina!" Klaus shouted, turning the wheel sharply to the left. But it made little difference. She anticipated his move and reappeared right in his path. This time he didn't have enough time to move on the road and instead swerved into the woods. The car flew through the guardrail and into a tree.

Klaus groaned, hardly affected by the impact. Elena, on the other hand, was much worse off. Glass shards were sprinkled along her body, some of which were stuck in her flesh. The front end of the car caved in from the impact. Some of the jagged metal remains rammed into her kneecaps. She coughed a little, gasping for breath.

"Don't you even _think_ about dying," Klaus threatened, struggling to remove his seatbelt and reach Elena.

Her eyes fluttered, lids growing heavier and heavier. "You're…you're too late," she breathed, the final exhalation of air leaving her lungs. Her head fell back against the headrest, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips.

* * *

Oh boy. Klaus is not going to be happy once he finds out that once again his doppelganger became a vampire! Will Damon really leave town with Elena once they meet up again? What will Stefan and the others think?

I'm trying to figure out a way to get each story updated at least once a month...so we'll see how that goes. It's been 9 months or so since I updated this story. That's ridiculous .

Please leave a review...it encourages me to write faster, I swear ;)


	14. A Whole New World

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 14: A Whole New World

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

* * *

**RECAP: **

Elena was about to respond, ready to egg him on a little more, but froze once she saw something – or rather someone – standing in the middle of the road. Even in her state of slight panic, she immediately recognized Katherine.

She was just standing there, head tilted down slightly and her lips stretching upward in a taunting smirk.

"Katerina!" Klaus shouted, turning the wheel sharply to the left. But it made little difference. She anticipated his move and reappeared right in his path. This time he didn't have enough time to move on the road and instead swerved into the woods. The car flew through the guardrail and into a tree.

Klaus groaned, hardly affected by the impact. Elena, on the other hand, was much worse off. Glass shards were sprinkled along her body, some of which were stuck in her flesh. The front end of the car caved in from the impact. Some of the jagged metal remains rammed into her kneecaps. She coughed a little, gasping for breath.

"Don't you even _think_ about dying," Klaus threatened, struggling to remove his seatbelt and reach Elena.

Her eyes fluttered, lids growing heavier and heavier. "You're…you're too late," she breathed, the final exhalation of air leaving her lungs. Her head fell back against the headrest, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips.

* * *

Her body was broken – bones bent at grotesque angles. Her flesh was already cold and coated in drying blood. Klaus reached out with trembling fingers and pushed some of her hair out of his way. He stroked her cheek, absently smearing blood across her face.

This was his last chance, his last opportunity to become his true being – the heinous result of his mother's affair with the wolf. Although he despised that detail, Klaus wanted to manifest into a hybrid, if only for the power, the ability to sire an entirely new race of creatures.

Once again, Katerina Petrova was responsible for continuing his solitude and misery. A low growl vibrated in his throat at the mere thought. He pulled his hand away from Elena and kicked the twisted metal remains of the door out of his way before speeding into the night.

Someone would pay for this.

* * *

The warm, comforting darkness, which Elena had grown so accustomed to, suddenly started drifting away. Her chest ached as oxygen blew into the previously deceased lungs. After a few moments of blurry vision, Elena focused her eyes and nearly screamed when she saw her own face looking back at her.

In the delirium she was experiencing from just recently coming back to life, it took her several minutes to realize that she wasn't seeing herself, well not exactly. It was Katherine. Since jumping in front of Klaus's car, she'd had time to change her outfit and straighten her hair, thus making her look even more like Elena than usual.

"W-what are you doing?" Elena asked, voice coarse from all the screaming. Discomfort quickly settled in once she noticed that Katherine was more or less straddling her in the passenger seat of the car.

Katherine had every intention of returning to the cabin under the protection of the Salvatore brothers, but she got a bad feeling in her gut halfway back. She'd never been one to doubt her instinct, that initial primal reaction. Death was waiting for her at that house.

She paused, standing in the middle of the woods, rolling her eyes at her own unfortunate predicament. She could do what she always did – run far, far away and hide out in remote locations, all alone save for whoever would be serving as her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Or…she could visit her doppelganger-turned-vampire and amuse herself with Elena's transition. She smirked to herself, pleased to have stumbled upon an opportunity to corrupt the innocent Elena Gilbert.

"Isn't it obvious?" Katherine replied, leaning in even closer to her counterpart. "I'm here to help you transition."

Despite the fact that, to some degree, Katherine saved Elena from being used in Klaus's sacrifice, Elena refused to trust her. Katherine's motives have always been self-centered. _But what would she gain from me transitioning_? Elena wondered.

She considered the possibility that Katherine could simply want to make sure that Elena went through with it, perhaps to make Katherine's interference worth the risk of incurring Klaus's wrath. Was death even an option available to her? She could simply not feed and then die. What about Jeremy? As much as she feared becoming a vampire, Elena knew she couldn't leave Jeremy alone, especially considering the sickeningly large number of people he's already lost.

Elena eyed Katherine with suspicion, using every ounce of her strength to force herself into a sitting position. "I don't need _your_ help," she insisted.

Katherine shook her head in a disapproving manner. "After everything that I've done for you…this is the thanks I get?"

"After everything that you've done for me, you're lucky I haven't driven a stake through your heart yet."

"Fine," Katherine said lowly, abandoning the nice-girl act. With little effort, she pushed the door right of its hinges and jumped off Elena's lap. "Good luck wandering through these woods with Klaus on the loose. Oh, and I better not forget to mention that the nearest blood supply will probably come from a squirrel or, if you're lucky, a deer. Not sure if that's going to be good enough to transition."

In the few intentionally slow strides Katherine made away from the car, Elena battled with her conscious and lost to regrettable common sense. "Wait!" she gritted out. Katherine took a couple more steps before turning around with a victorious smirk.

* * *

Stefan hadn't stopped pacing across the room since Katherine left. Of course the main source of his concern was Elena's outcome, but a small portion of his subconscious feared that Katherine would fail and both her _and_ Elena would end up dead. _Why should I care what happens to Katherine? Wouldn't she deserve it, after everything she's put us through?_ Stefan thought.

While Caroline and Bonnie were sitting on the couch, trying to figure out a way in which magic could solve all their problems, Damon watched his brother pacing. He might not admit it aloud, but Damon felt equally if not more so anxious. He couldn't begin to count how many times he considered turning Elena into a vampire.

Now that would become a reality, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. Elena wanted nothing to do with becoming an immortal monster. She never said as much, but Damon knew without having to hear it. She would want to grow up. Have a career. Start a family. He had wanted those things too, once upon a time. Before Stefan took it all away from him.

"Would you just sit down already? There's no point in wearing down the floorboards," he grumbled.

Stefan shot him a dirty look over his shoulder before begrudgingly sitting himself next to Caroline. "Did you guys come up with anything yet?"

Bonnie shook her head and sighed. "I feel like we've flipped through these pages three times over now. There isn't a single spell in here."

"Then we're going to have to move on. I'm going to go out there and try to find her. When she…wakes up, she's going to be confused and in pain. We can't just leave her alone, or worse, with Klaus, in that condition," Stefan replied.

"Finally, a solid plan! I'll come with you," Caroline said, a hopeful smile lighting up her face.

Hatred filled Damon's being. _He_ should be the one going to find Elena. In any other situation, he'd gladly put up a fight, but he knew that time wasn't a luxury. Arguing would only cause Elena to be in harm's way longer.

"Let me go, too," Jeremy said, speaking up for the first time since Elena was taken away.

Hesitance was distinct in Stefan's expression. "I think it would be best if you stay here, Jeremy. Caroline and I are both vampires, so we'll be able to move quickly, which is crucial if we want to get her safely back here and away from Klaus."

With eyes downcast and shoulders slumped, Jeremy's silence permitted them to leave without him. Deep down he know they were right. He always ends up getting in the way.

* * *

Klaus felt nothing but rage as he bled his sixth victim dry and discarded her body like a piece of trash on the sidewalk. Despite no longer being hungry, he continued to binge. Blood soaked the front of his shirt and dripped onto his pants. Normally a little violence would do wonders for his vengeful attitude, but this was different.

He needed something a little more personal – something that would make them suffer as he has for so long. Using the back of his hand to wipe away some of the blood, Klaus smirked to himself. Suddenly, it was all so clear. Suddenly, he knew exactly who he needed to visit next on his mini killing spree.

* * *

Katherine dragged Elena along the road that Klaus's car had previously flown off of. Even in a state of disorientation, Elena knew they were heading in the opposite direction of the cabin. "Shouldn't we be going back to Stefan and Damon?"

"Yeah, right," Katherine said, rolling her eyes. "Let me tell you how that would go – Stefan would insist that anything would be better than letting you succumb to the darkness that comes with being a vampire, and then Damon would argue that that would be better than losing you forever. They'd fight, and nothing would get accomplished. Is that what you want?"

"No, but what makes you any more qualified than them to help me transition?"

Katherine looked back at her doppelganger with a devious grin. "Because I don't care about your fragile innocence. I will force blood down your throat if I have to."

"Lovely," Elena muttered. Her dislike soon morphed into anxiety as a small town came into view. Katherine was taking her there to steal someone's blood, or worse, _kill_. She knew that she would be incapable of killing someone, especially someone so undeserving, unsuspecting. She also knew that she only needed a small portion of blood to complete the transition, which put her conscience at ease.

Glancing at her phone, Katherine smirked. "It's still late enough to go barhopping. Drunks are always the easiest prey."

Elena was struggling to maintain Katherine's eager pace. Once she reached her, she grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. "We aren't preying on anyone. I'm just going to find someone to bite and then we can go back to Mystic Falls."

In a near bone-crushing grip, Katherine removed Elena's hand and laughed lowly. "Do you really think it's going to be that simple? That once you get a taste of blood, you'll be able to resist? I can still remember when I transitioned. Granted, I didn't know just how much blood would suffice, but I didn't care! The taste was so sweet, so empowering, I didn't stop until the old hag's veins were dry."

"I guess this will be another chance to prove that I am _nothing _like you."

* * *

Bonnie shoved the grimwoire off her lap and sighed in frustration. Jeremy glanced up from the spell book he was looking through and offered her a sympathetic look.

"If a witch created vampires, then why aren't there any spells in these books? Hey, do you think there's some sort of website–."

"I'm no witch expert, but don't you think Judgey over there would know if a witch wikipedia existed?" Damon said, clenching the glass of alcohol in his hand.

"At least he's trying to help, unlike you," Bonnie shot back.

"He probably doesn't even care about what happens to Elena," Jeremy muttered. He must've forgotten about vampire's keen hearing capabilities because he let out a startled shout as Damon sped over to him, wrapping a hand around his neck.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about me like that. You know damn well I care about her," he said through gritted teeth.

Bonnie leaned forward and silently cast the spell that created endless aneurisms in a vampire's brain. Damon fell to the floor in front of them as he clutched his skull and writhed in temporary pain.

"Getting on each other's nerves isn't going to help us at all," she said calmly, the faintest hint of a threat in her voice.

"On the contrary, love. I find teamwork to be a tad overrated."

Their heads snapped around to find Klaus standing behind them, arms crossed assuredly over his chest and a smirk full of hidden agendas gracing his lips. Although Damon wasn't Bonnie or Jeremy's biggest fan, he instinctively stepped in front of them, ready to protect. "On the contrary, love," Damon mocked. "I find sore losers to be incredibly obnoxious."

Klaus took a couple steps toward the group and nodded. "I may have lost sweet Elena, but I'm afraid the game isn't over. Not yet."

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie demanded.

"I've come for my consolation prize," he shrugged.

Damon saw it all happen in slow motion. The moment Klaus stopped his pacing stride, Damon knew he had reached his target. There was maybe a foot or two of space separating Damon from Jeremy. He could've easily leaned over and pushed him out of the line of attack, but his feet felt as though they were cemented to the floor.

Bonnie's screams echoed distantly in the back of his mind. The only noise he could hear was the sound of Jeremy's neck cracking just before his body fell to the floor with an unceremonious thud.

Finally finding his footing, Damon stumbled backwards, watching as Bonnie knelt next to Jeremy, cradling his head in her lap just like Elena did when Damon snapped his neck previously. A sickening feeling overcame him when he noticed the lack of tacky jewelry on Jeremy's fingers.

* * *

"Ooh, how about him? He looks _delicious_." Katherine cooed, nodding at a guy in his late 20s playing a solitary game of darts.

Try as she may, Elena was having a difficult time ignoring the hunger that was currently causing her gums to ache. "Do you have to turn everything into a game?" Elena sighed, making her way toward the man.

Katherine followed Elena over to the darts area and remained in the background, amused to see how the new vampire would approach her first meal. She assumed Elena heard enough about Damon's patented Snatch. Eat. Erase method to at least keep the guy from screaming bloody murder.

"Mind if I join you?" Elena asked hesitantly.

The guy looked up and shot her an award-winning smile. "Absolutely. I was getting pretty lonely back here." He extended his hand and said, "I'm Andrew."

_Oh, God. _Elena mentally groaned. _The last thing I wanted to know was his name._ She politely introduced herself and picked up a couple darts.

They played a few rounds, and Elena found herself feeling surprisingly relaxed. All thoughts of feeding…Katherine…Stefan and Damon, they all seemed to vanish. When was the last time she'd done something so…normal? It felt good.

"Wow, " she laughed. "I think you beat me every single time."

"Wanna play one more round? I'll even let you win," he teased.

"Elena! There you are," Katherine exclaimed. She stepped between Andrew and Elena, locking arms with her doppelganger.

Andrew's eyes bulged at the sight. "Whoa, you guys are…"

"Twins!" Katherine grinned. Elena was tempted to cringe at the cavity-inducing sweetness in her voice. "It's almost time for us to go, sis. Think your new friend could join us for a drink?"

"Definitely," he replied, reaching for his wallet.

In the dim lighting, he probably didn't notice her eyes darken as she picked up a dart. In a flash, she used it to slash his throat. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him closer to Elena. "I'd start drinking if I were you. He's bleeding out pretty fast."

Elena was horrified. She was paralyzed by the look of pain and terror in Andrew's eyes. "W-why did you have to make such a deep incision?" she cried. "He's going to die."

"Yeah, if you don't hurry up. We can always heal him with our blood."

Tears blurred Elena's vision as she gave Katherine a spiteful look. "_This_ is exactly why Stefan will never love you," she spat. "You're a monster!"

Katherine's own expression darkened. She had no real intention of killing him, but Elena just sealed his fate. Entwining her fingers in Elena's hair, she forced her face into Andrew's throat, smearing the blood all over her face. She choked as the blood poured into her mouth. Katherine forced her to remain in place until she felt Andrew's pulse fade.

"Now who's the monster?" Katherine sneered, tossing Andrew's wallet at her before speeding out the door.

The wallet fell open in Elena's lap. The first thing she saw was a picture of a baby girl.

* * *

Minutes dragged on at painfully slow rate. The silence made Bonnie feel as though she were choking. "Why isn't he waking up? It never took this long before…"

Klaus, who for some reason decided to stick around and absorb the palpable atmosphere of despair, bent down and picked up a small, shiny object. "I hope his resurrection has nothing to do with this little gem." It was Jeremy's ring.

Bonnie's sob supplied all the answer he needed. The ring must've fallen off when Klaus dragged him inside the cabin. Before anyone else could acknowledge that detail, Bonnie sprung to her feet and shoved Damon hard in the chest. "Why didn't you stop him?! Why didn't you _do_ anything?"

Damon swallowed any sadness that he felt and reconstructed his mask of condescension and indifference. "I've got a better question for you," he shot back. "Why didn't _you_ do anything, hmm? Why not stall him with one of those spells you're so fond of?"

"I'm afraid that wouldn't have worked on me," Klaus interrupted. "In this case, you would've been the best candidate to stop me, Damon."

Damon looked back and forth between the equally accusing pair of eyes on him. "Am I the only one here smart enough to realize that I'm not as strong as some psychopathic 1,000-year-old vampire?"

"Be that as it may, you still could've tried. I know we've only just met, but I can already tell something about you…"

"Oh, yeah? Let's hear it."

"It's really quite simple. You only care for a handful of people, and Jeremy wasn't one of them. Deep down, you could care less whether he lived or died."

* * *

Elijah knew that he had barely put any effort into his search for Katherine. He was sure that he no longer harbored feelings of love for her, yet he couldn't bring himself to bring about her demise. As such, he settled on trekking back through the woods, a neatly carved stake in his back pocket with the Salvatore's name on it. Their lives, in contrast with Katherine's, were dispensable.

Unfortunately, his vendetta was interrupted by the sound of crying. His eyes scanned the darkened forest, but the smell of blood was a much easier trail to follow. Upon seeing a brunette covered in blood, his immediate thoughts turned to Katherine, but he already knew that Katherine would never cry.

"Elena?" he said softly.

Her eyes shot up to meet his, and without any words, he already knew what had happened. Niklaus had failed to complete the ritual somehow, and now Elena was a vampire. One who'd probably just experienced her first kill. It truly pained him to see her like this – thrust into the darkness. She didn't belong there. She was so innocent and caring. He'd been able to gather that much in the brief encounters they've shared.

He knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be alright," he murmured, subtly reaching into his back pocket.

* * *

And here's where I play the part of evil writer and leave you with that little cliffhanger ;)

I'm working on making a trailer vid for this story, similar to the ones I've made for The Boarding House, so look for a link to that sometime soon!

In the next chapter: Damon and Elena are reunited, but it might not be under the happiest circumstances, Caroline and Stefan get frisky in the woods, and Klaus continues his vengeance with Damon as his new target.

As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think! Personally, I think this chapter (even if a little filler) turned out pretty well.


	15. No One Left To Lose

Forever Got Too Long

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 15: No One Left To Lose

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

* * *

**RECAP:**

_Elijah knew that he had barely put any effort into his search for Katherine. He was sure that he no longer harbored feelings of love for her, yet he couldn't bring himself to bring about her demise. As such, he settled on trekking back through the woods, a neatly carved stake in his back pocket with the Salvatore's name on it. Their lives, in contrast with Katherine's, were dispensable._

_Unfortunately, his vendetta was interrupted by the sound of crying. His eyes scanned the darkened forest, but the smell of blood was a much easier trail to follow. Upon seeing a brunette covered in blood, his immediate thoughts turned to Katherine, but he already knew that Katherine would never cry._

_"Elena?" he said softly._

_Her eyes shot up to meet his, and without any words, he already knew what had happened. Niklaus had failed to complete the ritual somehow, and now Elena was a vampire. One who'd probably just experienced her first kill. It truly pained him to see her like this – thrust into the darkness. She didn't belong there. She was so innocent and caring. He'd been able to gather that much in the brief encounters they've shared._

_He knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be alright," he murmured, subtly reaching into his back pocket._

* * *

Elijah's hand hovered above the stake in his back pocket as Elena heaved silent sobs. _What a pitiful creature_, Elijah thought. He would have led her into Klaus's sacrificial slaughter without a second thought. Yet seeing her like this, seeing the innocence ripped from her and replaced with an eternity of violence and guilt – he could hardly stand it.

_She can only find comfort in death, now. _

As Elijah plucked the stake from his pocket and pulled her into his arms, Elena felt her body tense and her tears evaporate. Just before the sharpened tip of the stake stabbed through her back, she sped backwards and crashed into a tree.

A look of pure bewilderment graced Elijah's usually stoic face. Either he hesitated too long in his assault or he severely underestimated a new vampire's sensory skills. Any traces of sorrow and guilt were now replaced with fear in Elena's eyes as she held her hands out in pleading defense.

"Please, Elijah, don't do this," she said. "I don't want to die, even knowing that I just…I just _killed _someone."

Elijah considered her words, but wasn't entirely swayed. "This world has too many corrupt characters, human and supernatural alike. I refuse to let you succumb to that. If you die now, you'll be spared from experiencing any more pain."

_How could it get any worse than what I've been through tonight_, she wondered. Regardless, she couldn't give up now. She had a brother to look out for, friends who treated her like family…

Elena pushed herself off the tree and stood before Elijah with a newfound air of confidence. "I'll bet Klaus wants Katherine dead after the stunt she pulled tonight. I can find her and kill her, in exchange for you letting me live."

At the announcement of this new proposal, Elijah nearly choked on his own saliva. When had this become about Katherine, and why did he feel as though he had to choose which Petrova would live and which would die?

He disliked the direction this conversation had taken.

* * *

Stefan cursed as he tripped over a log, distracted by the fact that the sun would soon be rising. And Elena, the newly transitioned vampire, was without a daylight ring.

"I thought vampires were supposed to be able to see in the dark?" Caroline teased. Her brief laughter came to a halt once she saw the worn, worried look on Stefan's face. "Hey," she said softly, lending him a hand to help him up, "everything will be alright. Klaus lost and now you know Elena will be safe."

Of course he knew that she was "safe," but that didn't mean she'd still be herself. Stefan recalled the change in his personality when he first turned. Gone was the sweet southern boy and in his place was a daring, ruthless vampire who was too selfish to spend an eternity alone and forced his brother to join him.

His biggest fear was that he wouldn't still be in love with the new Elena. It was already bad enough that since his mishap with Katherine he felt that Elena no longer loved him. All that time spent worrying and protecting her. Was this really the end of their epic romance?

Caroline felt somewhat uneasy as they continued their search in silence. She could tell that Stefan was lost in thought, but she so desperately wished that he would share what was on his mind. She'd be more than willing to help. After all, Elena was one of her best friends, and Caroline was also worried about her and what's happened since her transition.

It didn't take her much longer before the silence consumed her, and she cracked. "Okay, come on, Stefan!" she blurted. "You know it's unhealthy to keep all this bottled up. We need to help each other. That's what friends are for."

Stefan was startled by the outburst, but begrudgingly had to acknowledge that she made a good point. "It kills me to think that I've lost the Elena that I loved, because I know that she's not going to be the same person. And then there's Damon. I have no idea what he did to her during this whole ordeal, but she looks at him differently now… The thought of them being together… I can't stand it."

Pleased to see that she made some progress, Caroline leaned in a little closer and said, "Maybe you just need to prove to her that you're the one she loves, that you're the one who has been there for her since day one. Only a crazy person would pick that arrogant, psycho –." She stopped midsentence after Stefan shot her a somewhat annoyed look. "Anyway, you get what I'm saying."

Groaning, Stefan replied, "So you're telling me I'm going to have watch her become the one thing she never wanted to be… I'll have to help her through this, teach her how to control the hunger."

"Just like you did with me," Caroline murmured, eyes bulging once she realized the words had actually left her mouth. But, Stefan didn't seem upset or uninterested. If anything, Caroline didn't think she'd ever seen him look at her with such an intense stare.

He recalled two things from the night of the school's carnival – that sickly sweet romantic moment he shared with Elena atop the Ferris wheel and when he took Caroline into the restroom after she'd just killed for the first time and nearly got killed herself thanks to Damon's impulsiveness.

When he saw Caroline covered in blood and shaking with sobs, all he wanted was to be the one to help her through it, to realize all she had to live for. Those feelings returned once more and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his arms and met her lips with his own. He could feel all the collective tension and stress vanish each time his tongue swept across hers.

* * *

Bonnie cried as she cradled Jeremy's cold body in her lap. It wasn't fair. _None _of this was fair. None of them asked for this supernatural nightmare. Jeremy had cheated death a couple times before, yet even knowing that he would come back to life, there was always that horrible sinking feeling – the feeling of losing a loved one.

Now that feeling was real. Just thinking of how Elena would handle this only made it worse. Through teary eyes, she saw Klaus still standing over by the door looking satisfied with the chaos he created.

Suddenly, her fingertips tingled as she was overwhelmed by the desire to magically tear him to shreds. "You're a monster," she spat. "An unnatural _creature_ that needs to die."

Klaus's smug smirk teetered downward slightly. "And I suppose I'm supposed to feel threatened by a witch who's been practicing magic for hardly even a year?"

Bonnie was unfazed by his lack of concern. She could feel the deceased witches loaning their power. She stood up and faced him. "Let's just say I had a good teacher."

"Ah, your grandmother," he said in a taunting tone. "Such a shame she couldn't be here to assist you in your pointless quest."

Admittedly, Bonnie was surprised that he'd known that much about her, but it didn't matter. She was ready for this. The lights flickered violently as the flames nearly exploded out of the fireplace. Wind came from nowhere, blowing frames off the walls and papers all over the place.

Damon, who had been lost in a spiral of guilt and contemplation, looked up and was startled by the sight. Without saying a single word, Bonnie had managed to pop Klaus's arm out of its socket and did some internal damage as blood started pouring out of his mouth.

"I'm just getting started!" she shouted over the sound of his cries and the wind. With a flick of her wrist, he went flying across the room. She walked over to where his crumpled body laid and pulled him up to face her. She shoved a hand up against his chest and curled her fingers together, creating the sensation of someone gripping his heart.

Just as she was about to mentally cast the spell that would end his immortal existence, she saw a flash of white light out of the corners of her eyes and found breathing to be difficult, if not impossible. Her grip on him faltered and she fell to the ground, passing out before her body hit the floor. Two streams of blood slid out of her nose and created a small puddle beneath her.

* * *

Elena stood in silence, eyes locked on the stake in Elijah's hand. She began wondering if she had said something wrong, if bringing up Katherine was a mistake. After what felt like hours, Elijah finally spoke.

"I think it best if we leave Katerina out of this. My family's feud with her does not involve you, so I find it pointless to bring you into it. That being said, I will let you live, Elena, on one condition."

She started to smile, but felt a hint of concern. "What might that be?"

"All I ask is that you retain your humanity. The world needs good people like you in it. Please understand that if I hear of you turning it off, I will end you."

Being that Elena had just become a vampire, she hadn't even thought about the humanity switch. She'd seen what flipping the switch could do to a vampire, and as such, she doubted she would've done it anyway. "You have my word, Elijah."

"Very well," he said, reaching for her hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles. "Until next time, Miss Gilbert." And with that, he sped off.

A small smile of relief spread across her lips, but was cut short by the faint feeling of sizzling skin. She watched with horror as the sun began its slow rise. She needed to get to the cabin before she _did_ die. With that in mind, she took after Elijah's example and utilized her supernatural speed, surprised by the combined feelings of fear and excitement that fueled her limbs.

* * *

Pieces of paper and glass littered the floor of the cabin's tiny living room. Jeremy's body remained in the center of the room with his neck bent at a grotesque angle. Bonnie's unconscious body was lying on the floor behind the couch. Damon couldn't begin to comprehend how awful this would look to anyone who walked through that door – particularly Elena.

Her brother was dead, her friend on the brink of life and death, an original vampire with murderous intent, and him. Obviously one of the two vampires was responsible for the damage. He wondered if Elena knew of the hatred he harbored for the witch and even her pesky little brother. Would that be enough for her to accuse him?

With closed eyes, Damon wished to return to how things were just three days ago. He had Elena all to himself, "protecting" her. Katherine had Stefan wrapped around her finger. Now Elena was a vampire, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing from his point of view. However, seeing something this extreme could easily cause her to flip her switch, which was something Damon felt less certain about.

Klaus popped his arm back in place as he approached the distraught Damon. "You feeling alright, mate? You look paler than usual for a vampire." The moment Damon felt Klaus's hand on his shoulder, he snapped. His hand shot out and gripped the Original's wrist, effortlessly bending it backward till the bone snapped. Klaus barely expressed any signs of pain; rather, he seemed amused.

"We need to fix this before Elena gets back," Damon said through gritted teeth.

"Oh?" Klaus replied with an arched brow. "What did you have in mind? How can you possibly fix something so…grim?"

"It's not that complicated," Damon said, putting pressure on the spot where the bone snapped. Klaus's eyes flickered with pain for a moment. "Hide Jeremy's body. Compel Elena to forget about him, or tell her that he's going to be out of town for a while."

Klaus considered the proposition. "But what of the Bennett witch?"

Damon shrugged. "Just say she tried to take you on, but wasn't strong enough."

"My, my, you've really thought this through haven't you? How could I ever turn down someone _so_ desperate? Fine, I'll compel Elena."

* * *

Protected by the leafy trees in the deeper portion of the woods, Elena was able to dodge the early morning rays of sun and arrive at the cabin. Exhausted from the running and the emotional roller coaster that had been the last three hours, she fell to the ground and took in a few unnecessary breaths.

In the fleeting minutes she had before the sun would stretch over the trees, Elena managed to notice the strange amount of silence that surrounded the cabin. She'd expected Damon and Stefan to be fighting off Klaus or at least _looking_ for her. Once more her emotions dramatically shifted from happy to suspicious.

Wishing she had a better knowledge of her vampire abilities to defend herself, Elena slowly reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. The smell of blood assaulted her senses before she took a single step forward. As black veins appeared beneath her eyes and her gums tingled with anticipation, she forced herself into the room. She didn't recognize the sound of her own horrified scream coming out of her mouth as she saw her brother, lying on the floor, sans heartbeat. She hadn't even noticed Bonnie yet.

"NO, JEREMY!" she cried out, knees giving out and causing her to fall to the floor. She repeated the word "no" over and over as she crawled over to the body and saw the unavoidable signs of death.

After she managed to tear her eyes away from Jeremy, she looked back and forth between Damon and Klaus, demanding an explanation. Through her tears, she didn't notice Damon shoot Klaus a silent plea.

Klaus wasted no more time and walked over to Elena. When he didn't get any particular reaction out of her, he reached down and pulled her up to a standing position. "I suppose now would be an inappropriate time to welcome you to life as a vampire," he said, somewhat sheepishly.

Elena shook out of his grip. "Get out of here," she said in a low, threatening tone.

"I will gladly leave, but first may I have a word?" He gestured toward the hallway, but Elena didn't move an inch.

"I said GET OUT!" she screamed, lunging toward him completely vamped out.

Klaus chuckled before compelling her to follow him to the hall. Seeing that an original could indeed compel a vampire temporarily put Damon's mind at ease. Even so, he didn't understand why Klaus wouldn't just compel her here.

Against her fighting feet, Elena followed Klaus into the hallway. Once they were alone, he pushed some strands of hair behind her ear and whispered some words, which began to swirl around in her mind and completely control her feelings. After the brief encounter, Elena emerged from the hall with a blank look on her face. Damon sprung to his feet, eagerly wanting to see how she'd respond to the sight of Jeremy's body.

The moment her eyes locked with his, she felt an overwhelming rage boil her blood. Klaus's words were all she could think about.

_"Damon Salvatore killed your brother_."

* * *

Uh-oh. Just when Elena was close to scratching the surface of her feelings for Damon, she gets compelled to believe that he "killed" Jeremy. Damon's going to have to break through Elena's compelled state of mind, but will he succeed? What about Caroline and Stefan? Was that just a heat-of-the-moment kiss or is there something growing there? All of this and more, in the next chapter of Forever Got Too Long!

I hate when chapters feel like fillers, but I think this one definitely allows for some interesting things to happen in the upcoming chapters ;)

**Reviews** are always greatly appreciated.

This is my second update this week! Been a while since I've been able to say that lol I hope to continue this trend, so look for an update of **The Worst Intentions** sometime this weekend.

XoXo Amber


	16. Let It Go

Forever Got Too Long 

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 16: Let It Go

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

* * *

Katherine had become so accustomed to running that she almost felt sad to see the chase permanently postponed. On the other hand, she despised the thought of Elena Gilbert being around for an eternity. It would be too soon to kill her, though. Besides, thanks to Elena's new status as a vampire, Klaus will never be able to break the curse.

The least Katherine could do is thank her doppelganger before killing her.

She nestled herself in some bushes with just her chocolate eyes peering out between the leaves. It was obvious that Klaus would no longer be able to use the Petrova bloodline, but Katherine needed to see it for herself – needed to see that look of defeat and anger plastered across the Original's face. However, things didn't quite pan out the way she'd imagined.

The front door opened and Klaus stepped out wearing a dimpled smirk. He didn't look victorious, yet he didn't emit overwhelming waves of defeat either. Katherine scooted a little further into the bushes, ignoring the prickling thorns that scratched her skin, to get a better look. Perhaps she didn't see him clear enough.

Klaus was the loser. The only thing that could've remotely eased the sting of defeat was a great deal of vengeance. He'd been chasing Katherine for hundreds of years exactly for that purpose. How could he have gotten it from Elena in a matter of hours? Clearly, something horrific happened inside that cabin.

Once Klaus was miles away from Mystic Falls, Katherine had every intention of finding out what transpired.

* * *

As far as Elena was concerned, it was as if Klaus was never in the cabin and never interfered in any of their lives. It wasn't the result of his compulsion; rather, Elena was blinded with grief and disdain. All she could see was Jeremy's lifeless, ringless body sprawled in the center of a bloodied room. The last time she saw him in a similarly horrifying scenario was when Damon snapped his neck in her bedroom.

Based on the bruising and twisted angle of Jeremy's neck, it seemed obvious that Damon repeated the process. Only this time Elena was spared from witnessing the event first hand.

It didn't feel like anyone else was in the room as she crawled over to his body and cradled his head in her lap like she did last time. The moment her fingers grazed his cold flesh, an unstoppable stream of tears fell from her eyes and blurred her vision. Her chest tightened as she struggled to breathe between sobs. Her brother came here to help protect and save her. Now he was dead, and she was undead.

Due to her enhanced emotions, Elena's mindset shifted from sorrowful to angry at an alarming rate. And it was all directed at Damon. He never had any right to take their lives into his own hands. He kidnapped her not for protection but for his own selfish needs. She paid the price physically, emotionally, and mentally. His blood turned her into a vampire. Then he took Jeremy's life.

That was something she simply could not forgive.

While her fury brewed, Damon kept his distance, dealing with his own inner turmoil. He was foolish for believing that Klaus would help him. Now, he wanted nothing more than to kill the Original, but even he knew that that was going to take some planning. Klaus has lived a thousand years for a reason.

So, to ease his anger, Damon watched the array of emotions play across Elena's face like a dreadful film you can't look away from. It probably would've been best for him to keep his distance, to wait until Bonnie recovered and could verify that Damon wasn't responsible for Jeremy's death. But he couldn't stand to see her like this. It broke whatever was left of his heart.

He crept down to where she was kneeling and placed a hand on her shoulder. He'd barely made contact with her before she spun around, features completely vamped out, and sped him up against a wall. The impact caused the drywall to crack and a cloud of dust to surround them, but it did nothing to ease the force behind Elena's fingers as she choked him.

"How dare you even lay a _finger_ on me after what you've done," she spat.

"Elena," he wheezed, silently impressed with how much strength she was displaying. "You need to listen to me. I understand that you're upset, but Klaus has compelled you. I didn't do this to Jeremy. Bonnie and I did everything we could, but Klaus was just too strong…"

His words seemed to resonate with part of her, but the majority of her being was completely convinced that this was Damon's doing. She could practically picture how it happened. Although he didn't successfully convince her, his words did manage to remind her that Bonnie was involved in all this. Her heartbeat and breathing were faint, but existent. It was amazing that Damon didn't just kill her, too.

With all these considerations jumbling around her head, Elena's rage gave way to confusion and frustration. She glared at Damon a moment longer before releasing her grip and letting him fall to the ground. As she paced along the creaky floorboards, her mind focused on Bonnie. Elena didn't see her as a witness to the events that led up to her brother's death. No, Elena only saw Bonnie as a witch – a witch who could create a daylight ring…or a witch who could bring someone back from the dead.

* * *

Initially, Elijah had little interest in helping Klaus find the current doppelganger. But Klaus knew exactly how to rope him in. With one mention of reuniting their family, Elijah was begrudgingly ready to assist. Once he spent some time with Elena, that allegiance wavered. He felt weighed down with guilt and sympathy. Neither Tatia nor any of her descendants deserved the cruel fate his mother bestowed upon them.

Since he'd already spared Katherine – an action that was becoming more and more regrettable as the years passed – he couldn't help Elena, too. As it turned out, Elena and her friends outsmarted Klaus, and now Elena will never be Klaus' sacrifice. He feared that it would only be a matter of time before Elena treads down the same dark path that led Katherine astray.

As he walked toward the town square, Elijah was both excited and displeased to have to meet with his brother. Perhaps Klaus will already have their brothers and sister waiting where they agreed to meet. The notion was enough to cause a shadow of a smile to appear on his face as he sat down on a concrete bench.

Suddenly, he didn't care about dealing with another thousand years of Klaus' rage. Once he was reunited with his family, he'd be done being his brother's keeper.

"Lovely day, isn't it, brother?" Klaus said in a strangely chipper tone.

Elijah ignored what he presumed to be a rhetorical question and cut to the chase. "You seem awfully happy for someone who has been defeated twice now…"

Klaus shrugged. "Pesky witches and their spells – there's always a loophole waiting to be exposed. Besides, the doppelganger and I are even now."

"What did you do to her?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"Oh, it's not what I did to her – it's what I did to her dear brother. Elena appeared rather devastated when she found his body. Ah, but here's the best part! Poor Damon Salvatore begged me to compel her to think Jeremy left town, but I compelled her to think that her brother's death was Damon's doing!"

Klaus and Elijah rarely shared the same sense of humor, and this situation was no exception. "You've managed to _destroy _at least three lives in the last hour," he said, voice heavy with disgust and disbelief. "It would've been kinder to kill them than let them live through this tragedy."

"It's not to late, you know. I can easily go take care of that–."

"Listen to yourself! You're an absolute menace, and I cannot idly stand by and let you continue down this path," Elijah declared.

Despite the brevity of his words, they seemed to have little effect on Klaus. There were still traces of that bounciness he had when he arrived. If a threat wouldn't work, Elijah knew he would have to resort to more drastic measures. Klaus didn't appear to be giving him much of a choice.

It was as if Klaus had seen all of Elijah's movements in slow motion and knew exactly when to speak up. Just as Elijah's fingers aimed for Klaus' heart, he stood up and smirked. "If you kill me, you'll never find the rest of our family."

Elijah's fingers stopped just in time to graze across his target before his arm dropped to his side. "You promised to lead me to them after I helped you with Elena. That's just one of many promises you've broken. Do not taunt me with your lies."

Klaus shook his head as he approached Elijah. There were finally signs of remorse on his face. "Who am I to deny you from this reunion any longer?" Klaus asked softly.

Before any traces of happiness could spread through Elijah, Klaus pulled a dagger from behind his back and jabbed it into Elijah's chest. As Elijah writhed in the dirt, Klaus knelt down next to him. "I know we agreed to leave Mystic Falls once we were done here, but I think I'll stick around a little longer…watch as they tear themselves apart."

* * *

As the sun passed by overhead, Katherine's patience was wearing thin. She could pick up bits of what sounded like a heated argument, an argument that she wanted to be able to watch from front row seats.

_ Klaus left looking pretty satisfied_, she reasoned._ I don't think he'll have any reason to return so soon. It wouldn't hurt to take a peak. _

With that, she slid down the hilly terrain and crouched outside the cabin. She rested her fingertips on the grimy wooden sill, propping herself up to peer into the window. Now that she had some imagery to go with the chopped conversation she heard earlier, it was easy to deduce what happened.

Clearly, it was Klaus who killed her precious little brother. Damon was reckless, but not _that_ reckless. Yet, all Elena seemed to harp on was the fact that Damon did it. Katherine rolled her eyes and leaned against the house. Sure, she enjoyed seeing a piece of Elena Gilbert's perfect life crumble, but was this really worth coming out of hiding?

When Damon first started this scheme to get Elena to himself, Katherine was willing to help. After all, it meant getting that doppelganger nuisance out of her life, leaving Stefan open for the taking. Too bad nothing went according to plan. For whatever reason, Elena reduced Damon to an emotional wreck…and Stefan realized that he wasn't actually with Elena.

_Speaking of Stefan…why wasn't he here?_ Katherine wondered, the corners of her lips twisting upward. _Perhaps his whereabouts will be more interesting than watching this hopeless romance._

* * *

Caroline squinted upon being greeted with an immense amount of sunlight. If that weren't enough confirmation that she hadn't fallen asleep in a bed, the scratchy leaves rustling beneath her and sound of birds chirping nearby definitely tipped her off. She rolled over to find Stefan still asleep on the ground next to her.

A groan slipped past her lips as she nervously raked her fingers through her hair. They were supposed to be looking for Elena, not making out against tree trunks and cuddling atop a pile of leaves. She nudged Stefan awake, watching as he looked equally confused and guilt-ridden.

"We are terrible friends," Caroline sighed. "Anything could've happened to Elena last night…and we didn't do a damn thing to help."

Although Stefan agreed, he didn't exactly feel like sticking around reminiscing and regretting the previous night. "Let's just go back to the cabin and see what's going on."

"Oh you two aren't going anywhere," Katherine said, slinking out from behind a tree. She smirked, watching their mildly concerned expressions escalate. "What _will_ poor Elena say when she finds out that her best friend and apparent ex-boyfriend spent the night tangled together instead of helping her…"

"She doesn't have to know," Caroline said, standing up and brushing off stray leaves. "We didn't do anything…"

"_Please_. I wasn't born yesterday. You two might not have gone all the way, but something hot and heavy happened here. You'd be even worse friends if you kept this from her."

Caroline and Stefan exchanged exasperated looks. They wouldn't admit it aloud, but they knew Katherine was right. Elena deserved to know the truth.

* * *

If this disaster had happened five days ago, Damon would've had a completely different approach to Elena's outburst. He would've asserted his strength and forced her to believe that he was innocent, for once. But now…now that they'd been through so much and he'd seen cracks in her shield, he decided it would be best to handle this in a more…humane fashion.

He thought it best to keep his distance so that he could anticipate another one of her attacks. He might not attack her himself, but that didn't mean he would continue allowing her to have the upper hand. He glanced over at Bonnie's still body and cursed under his breath.

_Of all the times to be taking a nap, of course witchy would choose now_, he thought bitterly.

Elena seemed to share his frustration. She stalked over to Bonnie and knelt down next to her. Then, she gripped her shoulders and started violently shaking her. "Wake up, Bonnie!" she snarled.

The sudden movement must've rattled something in Bonnie's brain because after a few more jerks, she sprung to life, gasping for air. "E-Elena," she breathed. "What's going on?"

"I need you to make me a daylight ring," she said, making some distance between them.

Bonnie still felt disoriented as she struggled to stand up. She scanned the room – Damon was standing in the far corner, looking at her with a piercing, pleading stare; Jeremy's corpse was still on the floor. If Elena saw Jeremy, why was she asking about a ring? Didn't she want to know what happened?

"Elena, I will help you with your ring, but first I think we need to talk about what…what happened to Jeremy."

Elena bit her lower lip as she felt another wave of tears building up behind her eyes. "I already know what happened," she said, voice quivering. "It's all HIS fault." She pointed a finger at Damon.

As much as Bonnie would've liked to let Damon take the blame, she couldn't ignore what really happened. She shook her head and tried to approach Elena, but she backed away. "Elena, I saw everything that happened. Damon didn't do much to stop Klaus, but he wasn't the one who snapped Jeremy's neck. Klaus did it."

"NO," Elena screamed, covering her ears. "I know it was Damon."

"She was compelled," Damon said softly. "Klaus told her it was me."

"I was not compelled," she spat, turning and facing him with a heated glare.

"You wouldn't know if you were," Bonnie pointed out. "We both saw Klaus kill Jeremy. I was so angry afterward that I tried to take him on myself, but I just wasn't strong enough. That's why I passed out."

Once more, their words seemed to make sense, but Elena refused to believe it. She was so sure that Damon was responsible, and she didn't want to spend the rest of the day arguing about such a horrible event. "You can say whatever you want, but I need to get out of here. I can't…I can't stand to be around all this blood and death and pain anymore. _Please_ make a ring for me so I can leave."

"You're just going to leave his body here?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know – maybe. I can't be around him right now. I'll come back later, but right now I really need to get out of this damned cabin."

It could be risky to let an emotionally distraught vampire loose on a town of unsuspecting humans, but she couldn't keep Elena caged inside the room where her brother died. The only problem was – she didn't have a lapis lazuli ring. The sun would be out for at least another three hours…there was only one way to keep her occupied.

Cringing, Bonnie held her hands out. "I'm sorry, Elena, but it's the best I can do for now." Before Elena could protest or ask any questions, Bonnie performed her aneurism spell. Once Elena was down on the ground, Damon injected some vervain.

"We need to get her somewhere safe," Bonnie said, glancing up at Damon.

He hadn't expected Bonnie to take such drastic measures, but he had to give her credit. "Let's take her to the boarding house. I know we have tons of jewelry in the attic. Some of it has to contain lapis lazuli."

Although she didn't feel entirely comfortable going back to the Salvatore boarding house, she had to admit that he made a good point. They wrapped her in a blanket and Damon sped her through the woods to the boarding house.

* * *

Elena's eyes snapped open the moment she registered Bonnie and Damon's voices. Her anger toward Damon was completely justified, but now Bonnie gave her a reason to hate her as well.

They had moved Elena into a spare room at the boarding house. Taking a quick glance out the window, she noted that the sun had set. She didn't need to be a prisoner here any longer. She crept out of the room and sped down the stairs, straight out the door. By the time they noticed, she was already into the woods en route to the Grill.

She compelled the waitress to bring a bottle of vodka to the table. Still struggling through the complications that came with sentimentality, Elena shrugged to herself and sipped from the bottle. How many times had she seen Damon walking around with a glass of something alcoholic when things were going wrong?

But then she remembered that Damon killed her brother. With that in mind, she pushed the bottle aside. However, that proved to be an even worse idea. With nothing occupying her thoughts or digestive system, all Elena could hear was the multitude of heartbeats pounding around her. Then she realized that it'd been nearly 24 hours since she had any blood.

Luckily for her, Katherine had been stalking in the corner of the bar. She could practically see Elena's fangs ready to spring out. Giving Elena more reason to be a pathetic emotional waste of space was not on tonight's agenda.

"You really should just stick to the vodka," she said, startling Elena with her sudden appearance. "I don't think I can deal with another Elena breakdown."

Elena's fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle, but she didn't lift it up. If Katherine hadn't "saved" her in that car crash, Elena would've lived to partake in Klaus' sacrifice. If she didn't interfere, Elena would still come back as a vampire, but at least Jeremy would be alive, too.

Suddenly, Elena found an even better target for her anger. "Get away from me," she snarled. "You're the reason everything has gone wrong in my life."

Katherine scoffed as she took a cautious seat opposite Elena. "I thought that was Damon's fault."

"Oh believe me, he's partially to blame. But what you did to me set everything else in motion."

"I don't follow," Katherine said in a bored tone. She reached for the vodka, but Elena maintained her grip. "Fine," she pouted. "Just because you're not trained enough to have a _real_ drink doesn't mean that I can't."

A rush of anxiety flew through Elena's body. She may not be able to save what's left of her life, but that didn't mean she could just sit back and let Katherine kill someone again.

"Here! It's yours," she shouted, shoving the bottle across the table.

Katherine laughed. "You are so predictable. Doesn't it ever hurt – being so righteous all the time? Don't you ever just want to let go? Relax?"

As she watched Elena writhe in her chair, yet another brilliant idea hatched in Katherine's mind. If Elena turned off her emotions, she'd definitely be more tolerable. Granted, strong emotions are usually the prominent tool to combat compulsion, but after watching everyone's attempts at that fail all day, Katherine decided it would be best to move on to option number two.

"Say whatever you want, Katherine," Elena replied, sounding too confident for Katherine's preference. "At least I have people that care about me."

She rolled her eyes in response, struggling to hold back information regarding Stefan and Caroline's nightlong rendezvous. That revelation would be best saved for an emotionless, though vindictive Elena.

"You know, vampires have this little ability to turn off our emotions, I'm sure you've heard of it... Anyway, now would be the ideal time to try that out. You can't spend an eternity in variations of extreme grief or happiness. Your life has been one terrible ride for the last 24 hours. This will help you cope."

Elena stole the bottle back and took another swig. If she were to be honest with herself, her life had been 'one terrible ride' ever since her parents died. Sure, there were moments of happiness with her friends, with Stefan, even with Damon, but there was always danger lurking around the corner, waiting to cause one tragedy after the next. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just _not_ feel for once.

"Let's just say I do turn it off…what will happen if I want to go back? Stefan and Damon always referred to it as if it were a some light switch you mentally flick on and off, but it doesn't seem that easy."

"Of course it's that easy. Trust me, I can't tell you how many times I've switched. Just like you, I faced the death of my entire family just after turning. I was completely alone, sent to a foreign country. I wouldn't have survived this long had I not taken a breather from my emotions."

Biting her lower lip, Elena leaned back in her chair. After exhaling a few deep breaths and focusing her mind, she could feel all her distress rolling off her. When she opened her eyes, she felt like a completely different person – filled with courage and excitement.

"Now what?" she asked, mirroring Katherine's devious smirk.

* * *

**A/N: **It's finally been updated! I am so sorry for the wait on this story but I was having some MAJOR writer's block with this. Luckily, I have the next chapter planned...it's going to involve an interesting encounter between Emotionless Elena and Damon ;) But what's Katherine's plan? She seems to be pretty good at influencing what's going on in Mystic Falls...

Look for another update within the next few weeks! In the meantime, please leave a review and let me know what you think.

And a special thanks to **darkkissesful** for PMing me and motivating me to get back into this story.

XoXo Amber


	17. Hurts So Good

Forever Got Too Long 

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 17: Hurts So Good 

* * *

**SUMMARY: **_Damon is tired of struggling, tired of never being enough. So, he decides to do something about it, regardless of whether or not Elena is willing to accept reality at first. Takes place after 2x16 The House Guest, without Isobel's appearance. Will Damon become a bigger threat to Elena than Klaus, or will he become her new lover? This story will be strictly DamonxElena, with some potential developments for some StefanxKatherine scenes later on._

**WARNING: **_This story is going to involve a darker, meaner side to Damon at some points. Some things are going to happen between him and Elena that probably will never happen in the show, but that's the fun of Fanfiction :) There will be violence, language, sexual situations, and gore in future chapters._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is written for entertainment purposes._

* * *

The familiar setting of the Mystic Grill swirled around in blurred, colorful swatches as Elena stumbled from bar to table. Waves of intoxication came and went through her body. She couldn't remember how many shots she'd taken, not that it mattered. She was far more concerned about drinking with Katherine Pierce, who convinced her to turn off her humanity. It was probably the best thing Katherine could have done for her.

Elena giggled as the contents of her new shot spilled on her shirt just before she placed the handful of glasses on the table. When compared to the more experienced vampire sitting before her, Elena could easily be considered a lightweight. Knowing that she couldn't get alcohol poisoning or hangovers fueled Elena to drink even faster.

"It's like you've never been to a party before," Katherine laughed, watching her sway a few times before finally collapsing into the booth.

Elena scoffed as she reached for another shot. "Please, do you know how many parties we've had at the boarding house?"

Upon realizing what she just said, Elena frowned. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was either Salvatore brother. Katherine picked up on this discomfort as well. "How about we don't talk about them for just one night?"

"You say that as if they've hurt both of us," Elena replied. "What have they ever done to you? They used to worship the ground you walked on, from what I've heard."

"Yeah, see the key word there is _used_ to. As in not anymore." _She may not realize it, but that's how they treat _her_ now_, Katherine thought scornfully. Up until this topic of discussion, her less distinguished doppelganger had barely annoyed her in the slightest. But now, at the mention of their mutual lovers, she found it difficult to resist reaching across the table and tearing Elena's heart out.

"If you actually loved them, you wouldn't care about that sort of thing," Elena said, slurping down another shot. She didn't really like where the conversation was going either, yet she couldn't keep her comments to herself. How many times had she seen Katherine's destructive behavior ruin Damon and Stefan?

Katherine smirked. It was almost adorable to watch Elena try to guilt trip her. "Look at you, defending the guy who murdered your brother." Katherine saw the anger flare in Elena's eyes, but she never acted on it.

The last thing Katherine expected Elena to do was laugh. "That doesn't bother me anymore, remember? I've got a very long life ahead of me and I don't plan on living it in the past." Though her words were empowered with confidence, the way she slammed her shot glass down on the table suggested lingering doubts.

Pleased that she struck a nerve, Katherine held out her hands in a defensive manner and leaned back into the booth. "Noted," she said. "I mean it's only natural that those boys continue to come up in conversation. We're both destined to love them."

Elena groaned. "At this point, I'd be fine with never seeing either one of them again."

"Obviously you can't have them both," Katherine said, continuing on as if Elena hadn't said anything. "Damon's clearly yours."

Once more Elena surprised Katherine with amusement rather than annoyance. "What gives you that idea?"

"It's simple," Katherine smirked. "Stefan's already mine."

* * *

A pile of wrinkled napkins littered the floor where Bonnie was sitting. After realizing Elena was gone, she collapsed on the floor, still wearing her bloody clothes, and never bothered to crawl over to the couch.

Her mind raced through the last 24 hours as she tried to think of anything that she could have done differently, any little movement that could have led to a more positive outcome. Each time she recalled that horrible experience, she came up blank. Nothing would've made a difference – not against someone as powerful and evil as Klaus. Coming to such a conclusion should've offered her some sort of comfort, but it almost made things worse.

Between each hopeless thought, Bonnie could hear glass shattering and walls crumbling from the floor above her. Ever since she learned the truth about supernatural creatures, she hated Damon – hated that he tried to kill and manipulate her, hated that he hurt Caroline, hated that he loved Elena so much. She knew that he could probably care less that Jeremy was dead. No, what tore him up inside was the fact that this action caused Elena so much pain, and she was compelled to blame him.

Bonnie couldn't help but feel the smallest shred of sympathy for him.

Lost in thought, hearing the sudden slam of the front door caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder and was relieved to see Caroline and Stefan standing in the doorway. "Where have you two been?" she gasped, running over to them.

Stefan had a string of apologies prepared, but Caroline quickly cut him off. "We've been looking for Elena! When we got back to the cabin, no one was there…it was just…covered in blood," she said, finishing with a shudder. "Where is Elena?"

Tears filled Bonnie's eyes as she returned to her spot on the floor. "Klaus killed Jeremy and compelled Elena to think it was Damon's fault. She was so upset…and she wouldn't listen to anything we were saying…we tried to bring her here to keep her safe, but she got out the minute the sun went down."

"Oh my God," Caroline replied, suddenly looking pale. "What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do," Damon snarled. "If you want to sit around here and waste your time, by all means go for it."

They all watched as he stormed toward the door. "Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

Damon turned around and faced him with a warning expression. "That doesn't seem like any of your business, brother. Oh, I forgot to thank you for your help with fighting Klaus and all. Couldn't have done it without you – oh wait, yes I can."

That seemed to be enough to silence everyone as he left.

* * *

Under normal circumstances, Elena would've defended her love for Stefan, would've damned Katherine for everything she did to him and Damon. But instead of feeling any desire to be noble, she felt a burning hunger. It started in her gut and crept up her throat. She wasn't going to play dumb – she knew she was well overdue for a drink thicker than vodka or rum.

"I'm going to get a bite," she said nonchalantly. "Care to join?"

Katherine arched an eyebrow in surprise, but silently agreed to follow her comrade deeper into the crowd of unknowing meal opportunities.

Using the crowd's chatter and loud music to her advantage, Elena went straight for the bite – ignoring the woman's screams and struggles. She didn't care whether the woman lived or died, so long as this hunger was satisfied. Each gulp of the delectable substance slid down her throat and soothed the burn. The more blood she consumed, the less attached she felt to her past…her fears…her dreams. She felt completely invincible and untouchable.

Katherine, with centuries of constraint under her belt, watched Elena for a few minutes before chowing down. She wasn't in a particularly killer mood, so she jumped from victim to victim. After about half an hour, both vampires were satisfied and feeling absolutely euphoric.

Not bothering to wipe the blood from their faces, they slipped further into the crowd and started dancing to the pulsing beats.

"Watch this," Katherine said with a wink. In a flash, Katherine had sped over to the stage and started dancing. Elena cheered along with the crowd and decided to join Katherine. Seeing double seemed to increase the crowd's energy even more.

Elena couldn't remember the last time she felt so free and relaxed. When the song came to an end, Elena and Katherine collapsed in each other's arms as they stumbled off the stage, paralyzed with laughter.

Everything seemed to stand still, though, when Elena glanced at the bar and saw a familiar leather-coated back. _Damon_.

"What's wrong with you?" Katherine asked, waving a hand in front of Elena's face. Apparently, she had been talking, but Elena didn't hear a thing. When she didn't respond right away, Katherine followed her gaze and realized that Damon was here. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall. Damon was _always_ ruining her fun.

"I think I should go talk to him," Elena said, correctly assuming that Katherine figured things out on her own.

"Why? You really should hate him by now."

"I don't feel anything," Elena murmured. "If I did, I'd probably go stake him or something."

Luckily for Katherine, there were more interesting people that she wanted Elena to "talk" to – for instance, the lovely couple that just walked in. Elena still didn't know about Stefan and Caroline's sleepover, so it would be interesting to see if finding out about it would provoke any of those pesky emotions.

"Forget about him," Katherine said waving a dismissive hand in his direction. "Let's go over there. I think I saw some tasty-looking football players sit down."

Once more, Katherine's words went unrecognized as Elena took a few steps toward Damon. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but it wasn't curiosity or attraction that was drawing her to him. Rather, it was something much more powerful and deadly – the prospect of revenge.

"You go ahead," she said in a distracted tone. "I'll meet you there."

Katherine remained planted in place with her mouth slightly ajar. _Nobody stands up Katherine Pierce_, she thought, pouting.

* * *

"Don't be shy, Donovan," Damon grunted as he slammed another shot glass on the table. "You might as well just give me the damn bottle."

Matt rolled his eyes as he placed the bottle of Jack in front of Damon. Of course Matt wasn't really aware of Damon's feelings for Elena or the horrible events that took place in the last week. Even so, he didn't really feel tempted to ask what had the vampire so down. Once he was sure Damon wasn't going to mutter any more smart-ass comments, Matt walked to the opposite end of the bar to deal with more tolerable customers.

As Damon downed his fourth or fifth shot, his mind still raced with images of Elena. He should've been replaying the moment Klaus killed Jeremy, but that was already removed from his memory. All he could see was Elena's expression the moment her eyes landed on Jeremy's corpse – the way she looked at him after Klaus compelled her.

Needless to say, he nearly spat out his drink when he saw her out of the corner of his eye. It had to be an illusion. There was no way she'd approach him so calmly, not after that spectacle in the cabin. He took a risk and stole a glance to his right to find that she was in fact sitting next to him.

"Why are you so predictable, Damon?" she asked, sighing. When Damon stumbled through his response, Elena elaborated. "Something goes wrong in your life and you either develop a small body count or drown yourself in alcohol."

Thankfully, in the time it took for Elena to continue talking, Damon was able to collect himself. "Based on your tone, I think you're suggesting that the first option would be the better one…"

Elena shrugged and reached for Damon's bottle. "It's certainly the tastier option."

And just like that, Damon was back to feeling immensely confused. Elena would never even joke about something of that nature – unless… _She turned her humanity off_, Damon thought. Upon making this discovery, a horrible mixture of excitement and sadness mingled in his heart. How many times had he fantasized about Elena being like this? But that's all it could ever be – a fantasy. Elena was so much better than this lifestyle. As Damon got to know her, her emotions were one of the things he liked best about her, one of the things that set her apart from Katherine.

"How would you know that?" Damon asked, turning in his chair so that he was looking directly at her. "You've been a vampire for a _day_."

"You and I both know it was no ordinary day," she replied, the corners of her lips twitching upward.

"Are you even listening to yourself, Elena? Your brother died today and–."

"And I don't care right now," she snapped. "I don't feel anything, and I am perfectly okay with that. I've been surrounded by so much grief these last couple years. Now that I'm not weighed down by all that, I can finally _live_."

Her cool indifference briefly morphed into excitement. Damon felt the tension in his shoulders loosen as he realized that maybe this was the best thing Elena could've done in her situation. If she felt okay with her decision, why shouldn't he? After all, he'd turned his humanity off too many times to count. He didn't regret a single time.

"That's what I've always wanted for you…to be happy and alive," Damon murmured. "I'm just sorry it had to be the result of these terrible circumstances."

"Don't be," Elena said, placing her hand over his. "Stop beating yourself up over every mistake you make and just live in the moment. With _me_."

If Damon had a functioning heart, he was sure it would've stopped beating. "W-Why don't we go somewhere more private?"

Elena grinned. "My thoughts exactly."

* * *

When she wasn't busying herself by keeping an eye on the guilt-ridden friends with benefits huddled in the corner of the restaurant, Katherine couldn't help but lend an enhanced ear to the conversation at the bar. _Great, if they're leaving, how will I get to watch Elena's trust in her 'friends' crumble? _Katherine thought. _Unless I pretend to be Elena…_

After all the times she'd imitated her doppelganger, this should be a breeze. She smoothed out some of her curls and buttoned up her blouse before making her way over to Caroline and Stefan.

"Oh my God, Elena," Caroline gasped, running over to her. "What happened to you? You look terrible."

Katherine bit her lower lip to forcefully remain in character. "Why should I tell you anything? Where have _you_ been, Caroline? My life has become a living hell, and you're just here with Stefan, eating some French fries."

Caroline cringed. "Trust me, we spent all night looking for you. By the time we got back to the cabin, everyone was gone."

"You say that, but I don't believe you. Those woods around the cabin are not that big, which leads me to believe that you chose to do something else with your time."

Katherine enjoyed watching Caroline's cover start to crack. In a few seconds, the guilt would be too much for her to handle. Yet, much to her surprise, Stefan was the one who stepped forward to explain.

"We were looking for you, Elena, but we didn't spend the whole night searching. I'm not going to make up excuses – we ended up falling asleep in the woods. Nothing really happened, but you deserve to know the truth."

Forced tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she took a few steps away from them. "Thank you," she said shakily. "Thank you for making this day impossibly worse than it already was."

Not wanting to sit through a series of pathetic excuses, Katherine turned around and headed for the door. Despite her prior bonding with Elena, Katherine would always enjoy tearing apart Elena's perfect life, piece by piece. Now she no longer has a best friend, and it's probably safe to say that her and Stefan's romantic ventures were over.

_Now Stefan's mine for the taking_, she thought gleefully.

* * *

As they walked up the driveway to the boarding house, Elena reached for Damon's hand and sped him to the porch.

"I see you're already enjoying the perks of being a vampire," Damon said.

"You know, I used to think becoming a vampire would be the worst thing that could happen to me, but now…now I wouldn't become human for the world," she said, grinning. "But enough talking, let's go inside."

Damon didn't need to be told twice. He opened the door with such force, it nearly flew off its hinges as he swooped Elena into his arms and led her to the parlor.

Flames were dancing wildly inside the fireplace. Elena, feeling drawn to the light and warmth, dragged Damon over to the fire. In a flash of motion, she pinned him to the floor and attached her lips to his. Damon was once more surprised by her forwardness, but quickly caught on.

Her wavy hair tangled between his fingers as he held her head in his hands, as if fearing that he'd never be this close to her again. She smiled into her kisses as her body rocked against his. She was becoming lightheaded from the lack of breathing, but she didn't care. She loved the way his body was responding to her – the heat forming between them – the control she had.

But this wasn't meant to be pleasurable.

She broke away for some air, which caused Damon's roaming hands to grip her hips tightly. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked huskily.

Elena giggled. "Nowhere," she replied, biting down on his lower lip and sucking. As she occupied him with that, she used a free hand to reach for a nearby fire poker. The rod was pretty hot from sitting so close to the blazing fire. She could feel layers of skin burning off, but that only meant it would hurt him that much more.

Despite Damon's grip, she created some distance between them, keeping the rod hidden to the side. "Now what's wrong?" Damon laughed.

"Oh, nothing," Elena said with a smile. "I just want to _heat_ things up."

Since Damon was still caught up in the moment, he wasn't able to respond quickly enough to Elena's assault. She plunged the rod right between his lungs and used her enhanced strength to push it straight through his body and into the wooden floor, effectively pinning him in place.

Her sizzling skin was already healing as she stood up and towered over him. "W-what are you doing?" he wheezed.

She was going to answer him, but then she found one of the Salvatore's hidden supplies of vervain peaking out of the bookshelf. That would definitely stop Damon from escaping so soon. She sped over and grabbed the vial. When she returned, she poured the contents down the rod and subsequently all over his hands, which had been trying to remove the rod.

His screams of pain were almost melodic. Finally, it felt like she was getting some justice for everything Damon ever did. Once he got over the initial pain, he looked at her with hatred burning in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Damon," Elena grinned, flashing her fangs. "This is just beginning."

* * *

**A/N: **Will Damon be able to stop Elena from spiraling further? Will Katherine get her shot with Stefan or will Caroline get in the way? What's Klaus been up to this whole time? Find out in the next chapter!

Thank you everyone who's been reading, reviewing, and favoriting/signing up for alerts. It means the world to me that you enjoy my writing ^_^

**Review **for more Delena goodness ;)


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